The Memory Book - Chapter 1
The Memory Book. A Short Story by Vicky L. Oldham, June 28, 2022 It was May 2024. Tina tucked her seven-year-old, Joey, into bed and called her mother. "Hi, Mom, how are you feeling today?" Tina already knew the answer. While she still felt the shock of losing her father, Bob, to a sudden heart attack last fall, her mother, Jan, was devastated. Although months had passed, Jan seemed increasingly depressed. It was hard for her to manage life without Bob, let alone accept she’d never see him again. Jan and Bob had been married for over 30 years and had been very close. “I’m ok honey. Just going to bed early.” Jan sounded exhausted, Tina thought. Tina smiled, thinking about how her mother always goes to bed before 8:30 pm anyway. But she knew she was not ok. Day to day, Jan’s mood swung from malaise to feelings of intolerable loss. As Jan’s enthusiasm for life dwindled, Tina imagined her mother as a small boat floating adrift toward a featureless horizon. I