***
When Judy walked into the unit, she stopped in the doorway.
“Oh, honey…” she said quietly.
I shook my head, trying to speak. “She… she did all this…”
My sister stepped inside and pulled me into a hug. I held onto her as if I might fall apart again if I let go.
“We’ll go through it together,” she said.
And we did.
***
We opened the second box.
“Care Plans” was written across the top.
“She… she did all this…”
Inside were simple printed schedules.
Morning routines.
Meal ideas.
Notes reminding me to go outside.
Sticky notes were tucked between the pages.
“Eat something warm today. I’ll feel better knowing you did.”
“Don’t skip breakfast again.”
There were a few cookbooks, too, with marked pages and notes in the margins. I pressed one of them to my chest.
“My baby thought of everything…” I whispered.
Judy just squeezed my shoulder.
Inside were simple printed schedules.
***
The third box was labeled “People You’ll Need.”
Inside was a list of names.
Neighbors.
Lily’s friend Ava’s mom.
Ms. Holloway and Mr. Bennett.
