Shortness of Breath

Chapter Twenty Seven

A/N: To anyone who still remembers who I am -- HELLO! I really truly do apologize for this wildly overdue update; as some of you know, I've been traveling internationally for the past year with varying levels of free time and access to wifi. Thank you all for your patience and continued support, and please enjoy! Much love, from Railene.

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Hallie - December Twenty Sixth

"Cooper, that's enough with the television," a sad and hapless looking Grandma Ruth uselessly declared. "We're leaving any minute and you still have one shoe on."

"Just a minute, Grandma," Cooper sweetly called from the living room, without so much as turning his head. "I'm watching SuperSoul Sunday."

"It's Thursday, Coop," I said, shutting off the television. "And Oprah will be here when you get home from school. Now go listen to Grandma."

"I was just about to learn how to locate my inner light," he grumbled.

"Okay, well for now let's focus on locating your other shoe. Come on."

He indignantly did as he was told and stumbled off elsewhere as Grandma walked around like a zombie, trying and failing to keep the house as neat as Casey seemed to always manage.

"Ruth, you look exhausted," I said.

"Looking after Cooper?" she said, her eyes almost out of focus. "Never."

"Why don't you go catch a couple more hours?" I offered. "I can drop the kids off on my way to the hospital."

"Oh, that's alright," she weakly protested. "I don't mind. I'll have to make breakfast anyway."

"I'll make sure they're fed," I promised. "It's the least I can do, Ruth, please. You deserve a break. Besides, you haven't even been home to water your plants."

"Oh," she said, with a sudden look of panic spreading across her face. If ever I had a doubt that Casey came out of this woman, it was gone now. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that."

"You don't want to let them dry up, you know?"

"I have African Tulips," she nearly whispered in fear.

"Those exotics drink like fish," I agreed.

"Well," she said, not that she needed much convincing. "If you're sure it isn't too much trouble."

"It'd be my pleasure. I can pick them up too, when I take lunch around three."

She smiled an old lady smile and placed a frail hand on my shoulder. "Thank you, Haley."

"Guys," I called to wherever they were. "Say goodbye to Grandma."

"Bye, Grandma," they both half-heartedly yelled, probably equally as relieved as I was to have her out of there.

I met the kids in the kitchen, where Cooper was continuing his sneaker quest. "If Grandma left, who's taking us to school?"

"Actually, I was thinking we could ditch school and grab breakfast."

E.J. laughed without looking up from her phone. "Is this some kind of a test?"

I rolled my eyes in disapproval. "Uh, no, this is me recognizing that it's been a shitty week and offering to try to make up for it in free pancakes. Be grateful, okay, people don't just run around offering you breakfast when you get to be my age."

"Thanks," she said. "But I'm running thin on unexcused absences and when I get to be your age I'd rather not be a freshman in high school."

"So get it excused."