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CHAPTER 1

RILEY

The crash from the kitchen jerkedand Bryony wasn’t in bed besideblue eyes hat normally met me when I opened my eyes

Juh the already open door of s ran through ot out of bed without me Another crash happened just as I turned the corner into the kitchen

My grand at the sink with a frantic look on her face The pot on the floor had been full of uncooked oats and milk, which were now splattered on the tile floor S fro out of the wall before things got worse

“Momma,” Bryony’s sweet voice called out from behind me

Spinning around, needing to see her face and know she was okay, I almost slipped on the milk under my feet

The wild curls of her hair were sticking up everywhere as she stared up at wy,” she said

I reached down to pick her up before she stepped into theher was enough reassurance to calm me down

“Grand towarddown at the spilled breakfast at her feet

“I don’t know,” Grandmamma said Her voice sounded lost, like she wasn’t sure what she was saying or why she was standing there This was normal for her So to be a good day

“I’ll put Bryony in her high chair and get her some cereal, and then I’ll clean this up What do you want me to fix you, Grandmamma?” I asked her

She turned her gaze to mine, and the confusion there always htthe pots and pans like druer there She was lost inside her head

“I don’t know,” she said, which ords I heard often

Ito take randmamma’s ars I woke up earlier than randmother Today I had overslept My mom normally woke me up before she left for work, but today she either had tried and failed or had forgotten

“I’ me she wanted food, and now If she’d woken up and found Grand For a moment, Grandmamma had known that meant she needed to feed her But that brief memory left and she had dropped a pot A dish was also broken on the floor hat looked like applesauce on it Then, of course, the burned toast

“Okay,” I told her and reached for a box of cereal to place some on her tray “Eat this and let Mommy clean up the mess”

Bryony picked up a piece of the round oat cereal and put it in her mouth

“I broke a plate” Grandmamma’s voice was full of concern

“It’s okay Accidents happen I’ to clean this up, then I’ll ar and apple slices Okay?” I assured her with a smile

She frowned “That’s my favorite?”

It was like dealing with another child We hadn’t been back in Lawton, Alaba, but the ti someone you love soAlzheimer’s was a terrible disease