Chapter 2 - The Shadow Behind the Smile
The following morning, Michael headed downstairs early.
Sophie was already preparing breakfast for his grandmother, Margaret, a seventy-nine-year-old lady who had moved in with them after she took a bad fall.
Michael observed as Sophie meticulously sorted out her pills, heated up a tortilla without using oil because she knew Margaret digested it easier that way, and poured her a fresh glass of water.
“How is my grandmother doing today?” he inquired.
Sophie turned around, slightly startled. “She is doing quite well, Mr. Michael. Her knee hurts her a bit when she initially wakes up, but it eases up once she gets moving.”
Michael furrowed his brow. He had not even realized his own grandmother woke up in pain. Sophie did.
Over the next few days, he started picking up on details that had always been right in front of him. Sophie always left a fresh glass of water on Margaret’s nightstand. She memorized exactly which television show Margaret preferred to watch every single afternoon. She patiently listened to the identical stories from her youth without ever checking the time.
And after accomplishing all of that, she still had to scrub the bedrooms, manage the laundry, and finish the chore lists Olivia pinned to the fridge each morning.
One afternoon, Michael came across her carrying a heavy stack of fresh towels.
“Sophie, are you still attending school?”
She paused. “Yes. I am taking classes to become a nursing assistant.”
“In the evenings?”
“Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”
“What time are you scheduled to leave work here?”
Sophie hesitated for a moment. “I am scheduled to leave at six, but occasionally I finish up later than that.”
“Starting tomorrow, on the days you have your classes, you are leaving at five-thirty.”
“You really do not have to do that.”
“I am aware. But I want to.”
May you like
Sophie offered a faint smile. Michael also discreetly instructed the estate manager to bump up her salary.
It did not seem like a massive change. But Olivia certainly noticed.
