Mom's promised to call me every day to let me know how Grandma's doing.

Of course, Mom's bad at those sorts of promises, but my phone service is out AGAIN (thanks Comcast...morons) and she never remembers to call the cell phone.

Anyhow. I call. I have a bad feeling (tm).

A strange young woman picks up the phone. "H------ residence."

I'm taken aback. WTF? Oh. Maybe it's a baby sitter, while they're with Grandma...wait. My brother's 27 and my sister is 25...no baby sitter. Oh. Maybe for the grandkids? I stutter a moment, and ask, "Is Luanne there?"

"Oh no. She's at the home."

"Oh? Is Mike there?"

"He's at the home with his mom."

"Oh. Uh. The nursing home, with my grandmother? That's what I'm calling about. I mean Mike my dad. Is he there?"

"Um. No, he's not...I think he's at the home too. He just left."

"Who is this, exactly?"

"Oh! This is Stephanie. Mike's girlfriend."

"OH! It's nice to meet you."

*awkward silence*

"I'm Jim. The brother Mike forgot to tell you about."

*nervous chuckle on her part*

"It's really nice to hear from you. I know, he's a dork...but he's also a grown man. I can't change him. But could you tell him that even if he won't talk to me, I'm still really really proud of him? Thanks."

She took down my cell phone number and promised to give it to my mom...but it turns out they've taken Grandma off the machines. She'll probably be gone by tomorrow morning.

There are a few tears here, but more for my father than myself. Grandma's lived a good long time.

CJ