Love in the Twilight

"I didn't steal it," I said. And then I realized who had.

"You...I saw you coming out of her room the other night. And another time I saw you sneaking out of Pearl's room. You're the one stealing the jewelry!"

Janet's mouth opened wide in shock. "I was in their rooms because I was looking for you! How dare you try to turn this around on me -- you're the thief!"

Her eyes narrowed as she stabbed her finger accusingly at my chest. "The police are coming here to arrest you in my office at ten. And when they find the jewelry you stole...I'll be pressing full charges!"

I knocked her hand away. "What do you mean when they find the jewelry...what did you do, plant it somewhere? So you could frame me?"

I pushed past her and went toward Caroline's room. Janet ran after me, grabbing my arm and telling me I couldn't go in there. We'd just reached the doorway when Sara found the missing necklace.

She had been taking out socks for Caroline to wear when the gold necklace fell out from between them.

As Sara picked it up, Caroline clapped her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my god...now I remember...I hid it from Mabel...but I forgot..."

Will held his mom as she sobbed into his shoulder. Janet pulled my sleeve and led me downstairs.

The police were waiting in her office. Even though Caroline's necklace had been found, they were still investigating the other missing pieces of jewelry. But while Janet and I pointed the finger at each other, Sara told them about Mabel.

She told them how many times she had searched through Mabel's wastebasket and found personal items that she'd taken from other residents and thrown away. Often, these items were jewelry. Sara always returned them to the rightful owners, but she suspected that many other items may have been missed and were simply thrown out by accident.

Luckily, the police accepted this explanation as the most plausible, and no charges were pressed against me. But my career as an orderly at Shadywood was over, and when Janet escorted me off the premises, Sara and Angie sadly waved goodbye from the nursing station.

* * *

I tried to forget about Shadywood, I knew it was in the past now, but I couldn't stop thinking of Caroline. I wasn't sure if her son had taken her to live with him or if she was still at the care home. But I had to find out, and a week later I snuck back in to see her.

Janet's office was empty and Sara was at the nursing station. "Jason, what are you doing here?"

"Mrs. Andrews...is she still here?"

Sara nodded.

"I just need to see her. I want to apologize and say goodbye."

"You'll get in so much trouble if you're discovered. The police are still investigating the missing jewelry. Janet wont give up, she still thinks you stole it."

"You know I didn't. Please, it will just take a few minutes."

Sara nodded and reluctantly let me pass.

I cautiously made my way up to the second floor, keeping an eye open for Janet. Caroline was shocked when I entered her room and hugged me tightly. "Oh, Jason, I'm so sorry for everything that happened."

"It's okay," I said, as I kissed her. "Caroline, I want to take you away from here."

"Take me away...what are you talking about?"

"This place isn't right for you. Come live with me, I can take care of you."

"Jason, you know I'm sick. I couldn't live with my own family, how could I live with you?"

"It's different with me, I'm an orderly, I know how to care for you."

"Jason, you know it's not the same."

"Caroline, I love you. Please let me try -- "

She put her fingers to my lips to shush me. "Jason, after what happened between us...my son took me to see my doctor. You and I both know my Alzheimer's is getting worse, and my doctor told me that one of the symptoms is hypersexuality. I hadn't been with anyone since my husband died, and I've never been as aggressive as I was with you. I love you Jason, but what happened between us the other night...that's not me."

I grabbed her hands and kissed them. "It doesn't matter, it's not about sex. I just want to take care of you."

"Jason, you're sweet, but that's why I admitted myself to Shadywood, because I didn't want to be a burden to my family, and I don't want to be a burden to you. I'm happy here, because I know coming here was my decision, no one else's.

"And even if I didn't have this terrible disease, there's too many years between us. I want you to be happy. I want you to get married to a beautiful wife, to have kids, and to spend many happy years with them. I have too few left."

"Caroline, I don't care," I said. "I want to spend those years with you."

"Please, Jason...just go...don't make me have to forget about you, too," she said, and burst into tears.

I held her tight and gently kissed the tears away. "I'll never forget you, Caroline."

"I hope not. I'm terrified, knowing I'm going to forget everyone I've ever loved, but the only thing that makes it bearable is knowing that they won't forget me."

As we parted, I made one final request. "Before I leave...can you sing for me one last time?"

She smiled and sang our song.

Stars fading but I linger on, dear

Still craving your kiss

I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear

Just saying this...

When she finished the song, she kissed me tenderly.

"Before you go, you should say goodbye to Walter. He hasn't been doing well. I know he's a grumpy old man, but he misses you. You were the only one who ever listened to him."

I wiped a tear from my eye and nodded, and went down the hall to Walter's room. I opened the door and Angie was in there adjusting his pillow.

"Jason! You are not allowed to be in the building."

"I just wanted to say goodbye to Mr. Williams."

"No, you must leave!"

"I just want to say goodbye."

"I'm going to get Janet," she said, and hurried out of the room.

Walter was asleep and breathing shallowly as I sat at his bedside. "Mr. Williams...Walter?"

Walter woke up grumbling, and was surprised to see me.

"Oh, it's you, are you back?"

"No, I just wanted to say goodbye. And let you know I'll miss chasing you down the hallway."

He harrumphed and turned away, but as I got up to leave, he held out his hand for me to shake it. "Thank you, Jason...for everything."

As I shook his hand, I felt something wet on my palm. I touched it with my finger and realized it was Vaseline.

"My ring," he said, looking at his hand. "Where's my ring?"

Just then, Janet burst into the room with Angie and Sara.

"Jason, I've called the police," said Janet.

"Good, because I know who the thief is -- Angie stole Walter's ring!"

Angie backed away and put her hand to her pocket. "He is lying, he is the thief!"

"Angie...empty your pocket," said Janet.

When she hesitated, Janet quickly grabbed her, reached in her pocket, and drew forth Walter's Vaseline-covered ring.

When the police arrived, Angie was arrested and charged with the theft of the missing jewelry. When they searched her house, they found a treasure trove of items that she'd stolen from residents of Shadywood over the years. Many of these residents were departed, but their families were overjoyed at having their long-gone loved ones' possessions returned.

Janet thanked me for my help in catching Angie, and apologized for accusing me of the thefts, but stopped short of offering me my job back.

I went to college instead and furthered my education. In time, I forgot about Shadywood, but I never forgot about Caroline.

While at college I met my wife, and we married and had a daughter, Emily, a few years later. After completing my bachelor's degree, I found a great job and moved on with my life, until the day I heard a knock at the door.

As soon as I saw her face I knew who she was, I remembered her from the photograph.

"Hi, Jason?" she said. "My name's Julie. I think you knew my mother, Caroline Andrews?"

I couldn't stop staring; she looked so much like her mother. "Yes," I said, as my daughter hugged my leg, checking to see who was at the door. "I remember Caroline."

"My mom's...not doing well," she said, as she smiled down at Emily. "My brother will kill me if he finds out I came to see you. But my mom...my mom told me all about you...and her. And I just wanted to know if you wanted to see her...before she's gone."

"I'd love to, can I bring my daughter with me?"

Emily and I went with Julie in her car. As she drove, she explained that Caroline had been moved from Shadywood a few years ago to a specialized memory care facility for people in the final stages of Alzheimer's.

"Just to warn you," she said. "My mother probably won't recognize you. I don't think she even knows who I am. You can talk to her, but don't be disappointed if she doesn't answer, she rarely talks anymore."

I held Emily's hand as we followed Julie to her mother's room. When I saw Caroline I almost didn't recognize her. Her beautiful silvery blonde hair had been shorn short and was now completely gray. She'd aged dramatically in the last seven years.

"Hi, Mom," said Julie, as she held Caroline's hand. "I've brought someone to see you."

My daughter and I moved to the edge of her bed, but Caroline didn't respond. She just stared straight ahead and clutched a small doll they'd given her.

"Did you want to talk to her?" said Julie.

I nodded, and she went to leave the room to give us privacy.

"Please, stay," I said, and Julie sat in a chair and smiled sadly at me.

Emily went to one side of the bed and held Caroline's hand. "I like your doll, what's her name?"

But Caroline didn't answer.

I took her other hand and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hi Caroline, it's me, Jason. This is my daughter, Emily. I've told her so much about you, and she wanted to finally meet you. I told her what a beautiful singer you are, and I told her how much you taught me. It's so good to see you again."

But Caroline didn't answer; she just held my hand and stared straight ahead.

So I leaned close and sang our song. And as I sang, Emily joined in. She knew the words by heart; I had sung it to her every night when she was young, as a lullaby.

As we sang, Caroline's head turned slightly toward Emily and her eyes moved as she watched her sing. And on the last verse, her lips parted and she joined in. And Julie cried as she heard her mother's beautiful voice for the last time.

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me

A few weeks later, Julie phoned and told me that the nurses didn't think Caroline would last through the night. Her brother had moved to another city, and couldn't find a flight that would get him there until the next day. So Julie asked me if I would sit with her and her mother. And I did as Caroline wished, and held her hand as she slipped away.

I never went to the funeral, out of respect for her son, Will, but Julie told me they played Dream a Little Dream of Me.

As I pulled my car into the parking lot at work and switched off the radio, I realized five years had passed since Caroline died. I picked up my briefcase, with the care plans I had been reviewing inside, and went in the front entrance. I walked past the door marked Administrator, with my name underneath, and went to the far end of the hall. I stepped through the sliding doors onto the new patio where Sara was wheeling residents out into the sunshine. They were all waiting as a young girl tuned her guitar, getting ready to play Shadywood's first concert of the week.

Sara smiled when she saw me and said, "You're just in time, Jason, she's about to sing your favorite song."