The rule is, no cats, no kids, not until the toilet flushes. That's when she walks the 18 steps to the kitchen and carefully assembles Momma's breakfast tray. It's one of those special looks for special people. Then, while Momma puts on her makeup, the two very seriously discuss beauty and fashion. If it's a good day, she pushes the covers back and puts her feet on the floor.
Today is a good day.
But Jenny, who has only indistinct memories of a time when her mother could walk like everybody else, has learned to read all kinds of signals. Janet has trouble standing. When something's wrong, really wrong, my skin knows first. It's a prickly feeling at the back of my neck, over the top of my head, down my forehead, and into my nose. There will be fewer and fewer good days as operation follows operation for Janet's disease-riddled body.