Rise from Ashes

heard a knock at the door. In an instant, my heart jumps, and i

the door-the faint, gentle voice of the old woman down the hall. S

myself to the door and flung it open. Mrs. Cl

she asked, with an an

e words rushed out in one frantic s

uld get the words out and settled on the edge of Granny's bed, checking her pulse, che

d heart," she said, more to herself than to me. "We need to make h

rks with a quiet efficiency tha

s with a warm blanket tucked in around her frail

, her hand resting on my shoulde

exhaustion. What's best for he

watery with tears, and I coll

don't know what I would

es. "Nora, you're trying your best. It is not the easies

one false move, and the whole thing would come crashing down. I look a

day. I need to be here with her,"

you need to take care of yourself too,

use, not even for a day. But the truth is this-I am tired, utterly and completely

right?" Mrs. Clark says, rising to he

click of the door shutting behind her, the apartment wraps i

her hand and listening to the

the day dissolving

sit in the gray evening light under the

. She looks up at me, and for the f

rs, her voice husk

d back, squeezing her hand gen

ly mirrored by my own. "You've always been such a

y resolve to hold. "I'd do everything over ag

it in her eyes-fear, guilt, sorrow. And t

ftly as I brushed the strand o

e more and, in an even

exhaustion finally catching up to me, I should be sleeping too,

to close my eyes, the phone ri

-beat thing. This is followed by a

y too late f

nst my ear with a qui

re near over, and I'm not re

e voice at the other end-d

redit office. I am calling to remind you t

y voice barely above a whisper. "I'm trying to get the m

lence, I could almost discern the disa

ou another extension of time. If it's not paid, we'll push

s from his mouth press

I say, even though, in reality,

" he says, and th

e down at it as though it

feels colder, th

night, I allow myself all

anyway? The bottom is

testing my breaking point, a

ree

. Clark. Not

never thought

he door, my hand tremblin

face hidden beneath a dark hood, his hand exten

k a word. He ju

cing, feeling the weight

eems to slow, as if I am standing on the edge of something I