She was awake when I came in, propped up in her raised bed and working with a woman who I assumed was one of the physical therapists. She was moving Al’s arms and seeming to stretch them out a little. Alice’s face broke into a huge grin when she saw me, and for a few seconds I forgot she’d had a stroke at all. She looked like her old self, and it did me a world of good to see it.

The therapist turned and gave me a smile, saying she’d give us a few minutes alone but that Alice was scheduled to work in the physical therapy room at eleven so she’d have to send the nurse in to get her ready soon. I agreed and stepped aside to let her pass before I walked to Alice’s bed and hugged her as tightly as I dared. She hugged back, a little awkwardly but at least it was something. “I love you,” I whispered, and I may have been imagining it but I could have sworn she hugged me a bit tighter after I said it.

I made small talk to her for a little bit, telling her about my lunch plans with Helena and the cookout plans with Tina, Charlie, Angie and the kids that night. She looked a little sad, and I was quick to assure her that she’d be out of here before long and as soon as she felt up to it we’d have a party to celebrate, and as many more as she wanted after that. She seemed to perk up a little at that, but still looked a little depressed, and I figured she was mulling over how things were going to be once she got home.

“It’s gonna be fine, sweetie. Tina and Angie are helping me with things. We’ll be all right, we just need to get adjusted…” I stopped when she scoffed and rolled her eyes at me. Sighing, I took her hand. “I know it sucks. But things have sucked before and we got through them.” She rolled her eyes again and I laughed. “You’re starting to look like Tina. Maybe it was a bad idea for her to visit after all.”

This got a big smile from her, and the bad mood seemed to have been averted. I was glad. Al and I had started joking about Tina’s fondness for eye rolling many years ago, and Shane had been in on it too. Whenever she did it in our presence, we all laughed, and she had never seemed to figure out why. It might have been a little mean, but it amused us, especially since she seemed to do it so much.