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has
Alzheimer’s.”
    “ Oh, I’m sorry to hear
that. How old is she?”
    “ She’s 75. And I don’t know
for sure yet. I sent her over to a geriatric specialist in Dallas
today. He’s an old friend of mine.”
    “ What are her
symptoms?”
    Elmo described what he had seen Mallie Mae
doing with the hairbrush and the toothpaste.
    “ Yeah, definitely some type
of dementia. Might not be AD though. Could be something
treatable.”
    “ Well, of course, I’m
hoping for that. But I’m preparing for the worst. And here’s the
thing. If it is Alzheimer’s, I’m probably going to want to take a
leave of absence.”
    “ I see.”
    “ You think you could handle
all of our patients for a while?”
    “ Well, considering how
few I have
right now, I’d say ‘yes.’”
    “ Good.”
    “ But if it is Alzheimer’s
there’s really nothing you can do for her.”
    “ I know. There’s no cure.
Only medicines to slow down the process of
deterioration.”
    “ But I can understand that
you’d want to spend some extra time with her for a
while.”
    “ Actually, I haven’t
spent any time with her in years .”
    “ But don’t you live in the
same house with her?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ Oh.”
    “ I know it sounds awful.
And I guess it is. But you don’t know what she’s put me through.
Every time I get close to her, she starts trying to run my life.
She tried to make me feel like a fool for wanting to be a
pediatrician. She still thinks I was an idiot for not becoming a
neurosurgeon. That was her plan for me. And she
is always right.
    “ And she’s ruined every
chance I’ve ever had with women. She always finds a way to run them
off. Years ago, I was engaged to a wonderful woman. She was a
nurse. But Mallie Mae didn’t like her for whatever reason. And you
would never believe the horrible thing she did to break us up. She
probably doesn’t approve of my current fiancé either. I don’t know,
since I never talk to her.”
    “ But now you feel guilty.
Now that she’s probably terminal.”
    “ Yeah. Big
time.”
    “ But you have to consider
your practice. Already, this morning, I’ve seen how the parents and
the kids love you. Take a few days off if you need to. But don’t
destroy what you’ve worked your whole life to build.”
    **********
    Carsie and Carnie were finishing a lazy,
late breakfast on the patio.
    “ Where did the old lady go
with her nurse this morning?” said Carnie.
    “ I don’t know. Mallie Mae
rarely goes anywhere,” said Carsie.
    “ Well, I saw them leave in
a black limo.”
    “ Really? I can’t imagine
where they went. And I wonder why Macy didn’t just drive the
Mercedes. That’s weird.”
    “ Looks like it’s just the
two of us here—alone in the house with Hadley.” Carnie raised one
eyebrow mischievously. “And where is he, anyway? I wanted him to
pour me some more orange juice.” She could get used to a life of
luxury.
    “ I don’t know. But I’m
gonna go take a very long bubble bath, Sis.”
    Carsie got up from the table and walked
away.
    “ You’ll turn into a
prune.”
    Carnie went downstairs to her bedroom. She
had been up since 6:00 AM. The Exercise Room was right next to the
Media Room, just a few yards from her bedroom. She had been
working out on one of the machines when she heard a car drive up
to the house. The rooms along the front of the basement were mostly
underground, but had high windows facing the front yard. Carnie had
looked out and seen Macy helping Mallie Mae into the black
limo.
    After exercising, she had taken a shower,
made a pot of coffee in the nearby Pub Room, and plopped down in
the Media Room to watch some TV while sipping her coffee. Later,
Carsie had called her cell and invited her to come up for a late
breakfast. The two had sat around in their robes, eating and
talking for an hour or so. Now it was after noon—time to get
dressed.
    Carnie did a slow strip tease in the mirror.
What a nice, tight body she had. Not bad for a 29-year-old,