It had to be You

he’s in a coma when his wife visits. But I’m afraid it’s almost true today. He’s mean as a cob. I hope he at least goes gently. Betty has been monitoring his blood pressure and pulse every three hours overnight. That’s why she’s taking a nap.”
    Watching Lily wash the floor, she pulled up a chair and took off her carpet slippers and gently massaged her feet.
    “I remember their wedding,“ she said softly. “Mr. and Mrs. Connor’s. I was just a girl then and my parents took me along. Mrs. Connor was the happiest bride I’d ever seen. She couldn’t stop smiling the whole time. When they turned to come down the aisle, Mr. Connor looked as if somebody had hit him with half a brick. He looked terrified at what he’d just done. She was at least a head taller than he was and must have outweighed him by twenty pounds.”
    Lily smiled and started the first round of rinsing the floor.
    Putting one carpet slipper back on, Miss Twibell went on, “I guess she kept track of my family. At least well enough to know I run a nursing home. She put him in here about three months ago and visits him every week. Things have changed with them. All she does is berate him while she’s here.“
    “What about?“ Lily ventured to ask, even though it was none of her business.
    “Their son Stefan and Stefan’s sons. Apparently there was a big family blowup many years ago and Stefan moved to the other side of Beacon, refusing to be in touch with them and also refusing to let them see their grandsons.“
    “I thought you said Kelly Connor visited his grandfather when he was in Voorburg and gave him samples?“
    “Yes. But never when his grandmother is around. And he asked me to keep his visits secret from her. Which I’ve done. He visited this morning, in fact. He knows his grandmother doesn’t come until around eleven. And the visiting nurse turned up early, too.”
    She sighed and donned her other carpet slipper and stood up. “Enough gossiping. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
    As she spoke, Robert came into the main room and said, “I just heard on the radio that Mayor Cermak died today.”
    Both Lily and Miss Twibell shushed him, pointing at Betty.
    “Oh, the poor man. Having to linger like that for three weeks,“ Miss Twibell said quietly. “It’s a shame, but good that the assassin didn’t shoot our new President as he meant to.“
    “It was a close thing,“ Robert said. “Roosevelt had just given a speech and was still standing in his car. Cermak was standing on the running board.“
    “Miss Twibell,“ Lily said, “I suppose you’ve guessed that this is my brother, Robert. He didn’t give me the chance to be polite.“
    “I guessed,“ Miss Twibell said, smiling. “Now I have to get real shoes on. This is the day Mr. Connor’s wife visits.“
    “What’s up?“ Robert asked when Miss Twibell had gone.
    “She thinks he’s going into a coma. It must be almost the end for him.“
    “I don’t want to be around for that,“ Robert admitted. “It would be better to visit the two old ladies. Do you need any help?“
    “No, thanks. I’m almost done. I’ll tell you when the bell rings to pick up the finished laundry.“
    “I’ll await that as eagerly as you think. Getting it down there was awful. Getting it back up will be worse. You’re sure I can’t mention an elevator?“
    “Not today,“ Lily replied firmly.
    Mrs. Connor arrived an hour later. She walked into her husband’s room, leaving the door slightly ajar. The first thing she said was, “Don’t think you’re fooling me, Sean. I know you’re awake. I have some farm problems we need to discuss.“ There was a silence, then she must have gotten up from the chair next to his bed, realizing she was being heard. She slammed the door and went back to talking. But the words were muffled.
    Miss Twibell had been in her suite putting her nurse shoes on and hobbled in just in time to hear this.
    Betty was still on the sofa but was now sitting up, rubbing her eyes, still half asleep from being up most of the night checking on Mr. Connor. Miss Twibell sat on a chair next to the sofa, putting her feet up on the center table. They didn’t speak.
    Lily got busy cleaning the counter now that she’d finished the floor, thinking vaguely that she probably should do these chores in the opposite way. Counter first, in case she dropped pieces of lint on the floor. As she finished up and was heading for the closet to put the mop away, Mrs.