This short story is from <Heartwarming Collection of Short Stories for Seniors: 2 Books in 1> by Bradley Windrow. It is perfect for seniors, even for dementia patients. Be sure to read until the end, as there’s a special gift waiting for you! hope you enjoy it!
There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one. –Jill Churchill
Clara, Mary’s very pregnant daughter, was driving her husband crazy, and Mary decided to take her off his hands for a few weeks. She prepared her guest room with plush pillows, stocked the fridge with healthy snacks, and was ready to pamper her daughter through the final stages of pregnancy.
“This will be a breeze,” she thought with a smile. But the moment Clara waddled through the door, visibly exhausted and irritable, Mary knew she was in for more than she bargained for.
“Mom, I’m dying,” Clara announced dramatically, collapsing onto the couch, belly first. “I need pickles. No, wait. Peanut butter. No! Pickles and peanut butter.” Mary blinked. Pickles and peanut butter?
“Are you sure, honey?” she asked, trying not to sound alarmed by the bizarre combo.
“Absolutely!” Clara huffed, her eyes wide and wild. Without question, Mary rushed to the store, determined to fulfill the strange craving. But by the time she returned, Clara had already moved on.
“Actually, I want ice cream. On toast. With mustard.”
Mary stared, utterly baffled. “Ice cream… and mustard?” Clara nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“It’s urgent, Mom.”
This was just the beginning of the pregnancy rollercoaster. Clara’s cravings grew weirder by the day, and no matter how fast Mary moved, Clara’s mind was always two steps ahead. If Mary wasn’t rushing to find a specific brand of sparkling water at 10 p.m., she was trying to rearrange Clara’s bed pillows for the fiftieth time—only for Clara to change her mind moments later.
And then there were the mood swings.
One moment, Clara would be laughing hysterically at a commercial, and the next, she’d be sobbing over a fictional character’s bad decision. Mary, caught in the whirlwind, wasn’t sure whether to laugh along or offer tissues.
“Mom, my back is killing me,” Clara whined one evening, slumping on the couch again. Mary quickly prepared a warm bath, only for Clara to declare she couldn’t possibly get up because “gravity was against her.” So, Mary attempted a foot massage—anything to ease the constant complaints of discomfort. But nothing seemed to work for long.
One evening, as Clara asked for yet another adjustment to her dinner plate, Mary snapped. She was on the verge of admitting her defeat when Clara suddenly doubled over in pain.
“Oh my God, Mom, it’s happening!”
Panic set in. Mary’s exhaustion evaporated as she jumped into action, grabbing hospital bags and frantically fumbling with the car keys. After a chaotic drive to the hospital, Clara gave birth to a healthy baby, and Mary, overwhelmed with emotion, held her grandchild for the first time. The stress, cravings, and mood swings all melted away in that moment of pure joy.
“It was all worth it,” Mary thought, smiling at Clara.
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