When her brother Stephen died of pancreatic cancer in 1995, and Anna went from forgetful to frighteningly delusional almost overnight, Arline stepped in. And it was Arline who defended Anna in the growing shadow of her mother's demands, demands that threatened her own family. Now it was Arline in the living room facing her children's questions, questions she'd posed herself but couldn't answer. I don't know. It is almost 7 p.m. in the Arden Courts home in Elk Grove Village where Anna lives, and the last light of a gray afternoon has nearly fled.
Dinner is done.
The day room is quiet. The good feelings of a peaceful day fade like faces in an old photograph. Her face, placid hours earlier, is pale. Fear haunts her milky eyes. She probes faces, seeking something.