CHAPTER 6

Next day, Mrs. Rosemond, Carmen, Mrs. Stevens and Nikki are having lunch at Rosemond Estate.
“It was nice of you invite us up for the weekend, Helen”, Mrs. Stevens says to Mrs. Rosemond.
The older woman smiles politely.
“More the merrier”.
She turns her eyes to Nikki, who’s sitting in an uncomfortable silence.
“Is everything alright, my dear?”.
Nikki shrugs slightly.
“I’m just not feeling well…”, she murmurs, lowering her head.
Shane enters the terrace carrying her tennis racket.
She looks relaxed and cool.
“Afternoon Ladies”, she says, smiling.
Nikki looks stunned by her very presence, and bows her head as Shane takes a seat at the table.
“I didn’t know you’d be here, Shane”, Mrs. Stevens says, less than enthralled.
“I wasn’t planning on it, but being such a lovely day, why waste it in the city”, Shane replies, taking a glass of orange juice, “Anyone for tennis?”.
She looks at Nikki and licks her lips.
The young girl stands and rushes into her house.
“What’s wrong with her?”, Shane asks, smirking.
Nobody answers.
Mrs. Stevens puts aside her napkin and gets up, following her daughter into the house.
“I hope she’s alright”, Shane murmurs, looking falsely concerned.
“I better go check on them”, Mrs. Rosemond mutters, standing up and walking away.
Shane turns to Carmen and smiles.
“Alone again. What are you up to, today?”.
Carmen puts her waffle back into the plate.
“I am doing some volunteer work”.
“Need any company?”, Shane replies immediately, playing with her racket.
Carmen raises her eyebrows, amused.
“You? Volunteer? I don’t think so”.
Shane shrugs.
“I don’t know, maybe I’d like it. I’m trying to change here. You could be supportive”, she answers, quietly, and Carmen can’t help but smile a little.
“Okay”.
“Babe, you’re looking at the next Mother Teresa”, Shane giggles.
Carmen shakes her head and laughs.

**

Inside a lone guest room, Nikki is talking on the phone.
“Please, I need you. I don’t know what to do. You’re the only one I can talk to”.
“I’ll be there in a few hours”, Jenny replies on the other end of the conversation.
She hangs up the phone and smiles to herself.

**
At the Retirement Home, a nurse escorts Shane and Carmen down the hall.
“It’s really nice when the young people help out”, she’s saying, “Most of our patients don’t have any family nearby”.
Carmen smiles, staring at her own shoes.
Shane sighs, shoving her hands into her pockets.
They stop at a door and the nurse opens it. There is an old man sitting in his hospital bed.
“Mister Gottlieb, we have a visitor for you”, the nurse says, smiling.
Shane starts to enter the room, but the nurse stops her.
“Actually Shane, you’re going to be spending the hour with Mrs. Sugarman”.
Shane gives Carmen a scared look, and she just giggles, amused.
As the nurse escorts an unhappy Shane down the hall, Carmen waves bye bye to her.
Then, she approaches Mister Gottlieb and shakes his hand, showing him a book of poetry and sitting by his side.