Her mother closed the menu. “I don’t like the description of the fajitas. The steak will be fine.” Linking her hands on the table, she asked, “Why aren’t you at work?”
“I’m working nights this week. Doctors don’t really keep business hours, remember?”
“No need to talk to me like I’m a child.”
The waitress saved Haleigh from having to respond to that quip. Once their orders had been taken and the waitress departed, they fell into an awkward silence. Any effort to butter her mother up with small talk would be a waste, so Haleigh breeched the subject at hand.
“Have you thought any more about selling the house?”
With a pained expression, Meredith said, “I’ve told you before, I’m not selling my house.”
“Do you know how much is left on the mortgage?”
Narrow shoulders shrugged. “Not off the top of my head.”
“How about the second mortgage?”
“Haleigh Rae, what is this about?”
Time to rip off the Band-Aid. “Mom, I can’t afford to pay your bills anymore.”
“Did they cut your hours?” she asked.
“No. I simply need to get my own place, and I can’t do that and keep paying your bills. So we need to figure out something with the house. Maybe you could refinance to a lower payment.”
“Is that why you dragged me out here?” she hissed. “So you could pull the rug out from under me where I wouldn’t make a scene?”
The woman was astute, Haleigh had to give her that. Shrewd and astute.
“No one is pulling anything. We’re both adults and there’s no reason we can’t find a solution that works for both of us.”
“You mean one that gets me off your back.” Lips pursed, her mother said, “After all I’ve done for you. I gave up my whole life to raise you kids. And this is what I get in return.”
Prepared for the old standby, Haleigh said, “I never asked you to give up anything, and I can’t spend the rest of my life paying you back for raising me. At least not monetarily.”
“So what? You’ll drive me to my doctor appointments when I can’t see anymore? And come visit me in the home you seem determined to put me in?”
That one she hadn’t expected. “Who said anything about a home?”
“Why else would you want me to sell the house?”
“I want you to sell the house so you can buy something smaller that you can afford. Don’t you get tired of having to clean that huge place?”
“Now I’m supposed to live in a hovel.”
This was going nowhere. Reverting to plan B, Haleigh asked, “Have you ever considered getting a job?”
“Ha!” her mother chirped, followed by an unladylike snort. “Who is going to hire a fifty-four-year-old woman who hasn’t held a job in thirty years?”
A valid question. “What did you do before you had kids?”
“I have a degree in social work.” To Haleigh’s surprised stare, she added, “Contrary to what your father would have people believe, you aren’t the only intelligent female in this family.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”
“Why would I?” Slender hands toyed with her silverware. “You never asked until now.”
Recognizing insecurity in her mother’s expression, Haleigh ignored the insinuation that her ignorance about her mother’s past was entirely her fault.
“Social workers are hard to find,” she said. “Especially in rural areas. I’m sure you could find a position.”
Clearing her throat, Meredith’s eyes darted around the room. “I’ve tried. No one wants me.”
This lunch was one revelation after the next. “There has to be something.”
For the first time in her life, Haleigh witnessed her mother truly humble. Regardless of how she’d treated her, Meredith was still the only mother Haleigh would ever have. Which spurred an idea.
“I could hire you.”
Familiar brown eyes glanced up in surprise. “What?”
“The shelter,” Haleigh said. “Someone will need to run the place, and I can’t do it while fulfilling my duties at the hospital.”
Still defiant, Meredith said, “You’d do that? Wouldn’t it have to be approved by someone?”
Haleigh laughed. “I have no idea. I haven’t gotten that far yet. But if you’re involved from the very beginning, I don’t see why you couldn’t step into the role when the time comes.” For the sake of full disclosure, she added, “If the time comes. Right now there’s an issue concerning the shelter location, but I’m hoping we can overcome that.”