when the days run together

 

It wasn't promising. Minnie did her best to keep some sort of composure. A part of her felt lost and not sure where to turn. She wanted to be brave, but the doctors didn't give her any hope about her husband who was in a coma these last few weeks.

There were waves of despair, wondering if she could go on. What should she be doing right now?

There were so many factors of letting so much go in her life that she wished she'd tended to long ago. Still, the kids needed to be fed and she needed to keep her wits about her.

COVID was real and a nightmare she faced daily. Did she dare go anywhere? Or do anything?

"Look, you'll get through this," Slater told her he would be here and do whatever he could to help. He'd gotten on down at the grocery store in the meat department.

She could only nod and manage to find something to clean. Even then she wondered if the toilet was clean enough. Had she washed enough clothes? Were they really sanitized?

And she knew there were others worse off. 

She'd try to see what soup she could make and try her best to keep busy since she had to keep busy or she would grow restless and find herself in the middle of the back yard in the snow just in her houseshoes and winter robe.

Her mother called, not so much to ask about Josh but to ask if she'd tried any of the family recipes she'd sent as a Christmas present. Naturally, Minnie did her best to at least act strong and promised she was going to make the venison salad, although, all she had was roast beef, but said she remembered Granny Hanna's venison salad and how good the sandwiches were when she was growing up.

Of course, this lead to a long story how Granny Hanna's family changed their name back on the Rez, hoping for land and money just to be robbed of it, and how hard it was back then and all the other bad things that happened in Red Cloud. Her mother wanted to change her name back. Being a Smith was just too ordinary she wanted to be a Keys again.

"Do you remember how to make fry bread," she asked.

"Of course." Minnie nodded. Her mother wanted her to make it for the girls. 

Minnie felt sad that her mother didn't speak of Josh, but Minnie knew if she did she would break down. Oh, she'd heard it more than once how her mother felt about Josh. He'd had a child, before he met Minnie. She would remind her mother that she'd had a child too before she met him.

She felt now that her mom was certain they were both doomed, but even in the end..Minnie knew she needed to get through the day and hope tomorrow would be better.