Free Patricia Rockwell - Essie Cobb 04 - Ghosted by Patricia Rockwell Page A

closet.    She soon returned with the items of clothing that Essie requested and helped her dress. 
    “One thing I can say about your daughter’s cleaning spree,” noted DeeDee as she helped Essie head to the living room , “at least it will simplify getting you ready every morning.  Not much to decide.”  Essie ignored her aide and rolled over to her recliner and eased into the seat.  She reached over for her clipboard and began working on an incomplete puzzle while DeeDee busied herself in Essie’s kitchenette fixing her morning medications.  
    “Oh, I see they’re leaving this new vitamin supplement just sitting here on the sink.  I wonder if that’s wise.”
    “I hardly think anyone’s going to steal it,” replied Essie.  “It’s the most foul tasting goop I’ve ever swallowed.”
    “That’s too bad,” said DeeDee.  “You’d think they’d make these things taste better if they want people to take them regularly.”  She mixed the powder into Essie’s morning juice and brought it over to her along with a handful of five or six pills.
    Essie downed both pills and juice and gave DeeDee a smile and an open mouth to indicate that she had indeed consumed her required meds for the morning.  DeeDee smiled and returned to the kitchen to clean up.
    “You want me to roll you out to the dining hall, Essie?” asked DeeDee.  “They’re p robably lining up for breakfast.”
    “No,” replied Essie.  “I’m fine.  I want to finish this puzzle first and then I’ll head out.”
    “Okay, Essie!” said DeeDee.  “Suit yourself!”  With a cheerful wave, DeeDee headed out the door.
    Essie scratched her head, ignoring DeeDee’s exit.  She stared at the puzzle on her clipboard.  She thumbed through some of her other puzzles and attempted to finish some of the others that remained unsolved.  After a few minutes of annoyance, she picked up her TV remote and flipped on a channel where she knew she’d get a morning news show.   The announcer was talking about some financial bill awaiting passage in Congress.  He droned on about the details of said bill and Essie tried to focus on his words but soon found them boring and difficult to follow.  She drifted back to sleep and the pleasant dream she’d had earlier about her husband and the night she’d worn the beautiful black cocktail dress came roaring back.  She could see John so vividly, almost hear him speak, see his face and his eyes.  He had such beautiful blue eyes, she remembered.  And when he looked at her, it was almost as if he saw a part of her that she herself was not aware of.  Time floated by. 
    Essie was jarred awake by a loud commercial on the television.  She glanced down at her watch when she realized that she had fallen asleep.  Luckily, only a few minutes had passed and she was absolutely not late for breakfast.  She picked up her clipboard and stared back at the clue that had been bothering her.  As she stared at it, her eyes seemed to play tricks on her —or at least that’s what she thought. 
    It almost seemed as if she saw her husband’s face in one of the puzzle squares, as if all of the little squares were swimming around and trying to join together to form into a different configuration—her husband’s face.  Essie blinked.  She sat upright and looked around.  She stared at the TV.  The news anchor on the morning show was staring straight into the camera delivering the news.  Everything seemed just fine.  She must have just been dreaming.   
    “Stupid eyes!” she said to herself, and punched the side of her head slightly with the palm of her hand.  “Come on, Essie!  Get it together!”  She squeezed her eyes tightly almost as if she was exercising them.  Squeezing her pencil with renewed vigor, she squinted at the puzzle squares again, looking from one small square to another.  She attempted to connect one line of squares going across to those going up and down so that she could