Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
As they walked up the front path, Ransom gave a low whistle. “The landscaping is incredible.”
A flush of pleasure washed through her. “I want each of my facilities to feel like a home. There are walking paths throughout the grounds.” Along with green lawns and flowering bushes, tubs filled with annuals and big shade trees with benches. “We have two koi ponds the residents love. Last year, the raccoons were catching the fish, so I worked with our landscaper to figure out how to keep the animals away without hurting them. Now we have netting over the ponds that protect the fish, but allow people to enjoy them.”
“It’s like a five-star resort.”
She beamed with pride. “Of course. That’s what I do. Dane caters to the younger generation at his resorts, and I get them when they’re entering their twilight years.”
“But only rich people can afford to come here.”
Was that censure in his voice? “We do a lot of fundraising so that even people who can’t afford the fees can do so with the generous help of our donors. And,” she added, “I learned a lot when I worked at your grandmother’s convalescent home. I didn’t want my care homes to be like hospitals. I wanted them to be homes. I hire people who show great respect for all my residents.” She looked at him squarely. “Which is why I couldn’t abide that catering company a moment longer.”
“I’ve always wished I could have moved her somewhere better,” Ransom said with a wistful note in his tone.
Ava waved off his guilt. “You did the most important thing by visiting her often.” Ava had looked forward to every visit, too, always making sure she was the one attending his grandmother. “I try very hard to encourage family visits. That’s one of the reasons for our amazing Sunday brunch. I’m always pleased to have so many families coming to visit. That’s very important to me.”
“I’ll look over the brunch menus again, keeping that in mind—enticing the families,” he said, as if making a mental note.
“Shall we go in?” she asked, trying to dispel the memories that talk of his grandmother brought on.
“Of course.” Ransom held open one of the big double doors.
Inside, her lobby was sumptuous, if she did say so herself. Plush wall-to-wall salmon-colored carpeting in a pattern of fish and water lilies covered the floor. There were no throw rugs anywhere, since they created a trip hazard. A pretty crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and paintings on the walls reflected the water motif in the carpet. The chairs and couches were a soft leather, and the reception desk was made of blond oak rather than plasterboard.
Ava smiled at Judy, their receptionist. The woman waved, obviously on the phone. Through an archway, a mailroom housed the individual mail cubbies.
Ransom took it all in. “Very impressive.”
“Everyone deserves to be surrounded by beauty.” No sterile linoleum halls or gray walls here.
In the wide hallway beyond Reception that led to the dining room and lounge, Ava spied a woman struggling to put on her cardigan. Walking swiftly toward her, Ava touched her shoulder. “Mrs. Hansen, can I help you with that?”
“Oh my dear, I should’ve put it on before I left my apartment.” She allowed Ava to help her slip a hand through a sleeve, one after the other, while she held on to her walker.
Ava patted down the ruffled collar. “You’re all set,” she said with a smile.
The lady took her hand. “Thank you so much, my dear.”
Many of her residents didn’t use Ava’s name. She never asked whether it was because they didn’t remember it, or because dear was simply how they addressed someone lovingly.
Ransom stood right behind Ava. “That’s a lovely cardigan.”
Mrs. Hansen beamed, and Ava was glad he knew how to treat an older woman. He’d always taken such good care of his grandmother.
The lunch hour was just ending, and the vestibule between the dining room and lounge was filling up with residents. She greeted several, smiled at others. She knew all their names. That was important to her, knowing who they were. She did that for the five facilities in the Bay Area, though it was much harder to do when she visited her care homes in other regions.
With Ransom in tow, she spied Mrs. Greeley.
Her heart seemed to bubble over with grief, and taking Mrs. Greeley’s hand in hers, she asked, “How are you doing? I know you were upset when I was here the other day. I hope everything is better now.”
Mrs. Greeley raised sparse gray eyebrows almost to her hairline. “I was upset?”
All Ava’s grief for this lovely woman melted away. “Never you mind. I’m just glad to see you’re doing so well.”
Mrs. Greeley’s smile spread across her face, wrinkled with love and laughter and years of a good life. Then the woman turned her walker. “It’s so good to see you, dear. But I must run, or I’ll miss armchair volleyball in the auditorium.”