We stopped at home, at my parents’ apartment, to drop off our things before settling in at the hospital. When we came in, Molly started barking; she greeted Freddy first, and then me, nearly knocking us over in her enthusiasm. Janet was dusting the chest in the front hall. “Your mother’s in the hospital,” Janet said in a half-whisper, as though we might not have known. We kissed her hello; Freddy started to haul the luggage back to the bedrooms.

“I’m so worried about her,” Janet said to me. “I just hope she’s OK. I keep on thinking about her and worrying and this house feels so strange without her here. I mean, she’s gone on vacation before, but this is different.”

“We’re all worried about her, Janet, but I think she’s going to be OK,” I said. “I certainly hope so.”

Janet stood and polished the top of the front hall chest, turning the cloth over and over. Then she turned around and dusted a Japanese bowl with a heron painted on it.

“She’s expecting Freddy and me at the hospital,” I said. “We’re running, but I’ll see you later, Janet, or maybe tomorrow—I guess we’ll be there most of the day. Could you make sure there are fresh sheets in my room and Freddy’s, and fresh towels?”

Molly, who had padded off toward the living room, chose this moment to rush at Janet’s ankles, and the fate of the Japanese bowl was briefly endangered; but years of experience stood Janet in good stead.

“Even the dog is acting peculiar,” Janet said. “The towels and all are there. As soon as your father said there was bad news and that you boys were coming home. Listen, tell your mother I want to come see her. Tell her I keep thinking about how she came to see me after my accident. You remember that?” I remembered. I could hear Freddy running water in his bathroom. There wasn’t really time for a long conversation. “There I was in that hospital the day after I fell,” Janet said, “lying flat out, and I couldn’t even get out of my bed. So I asked one of the other women to call your mother to tell her I wasn’t going to be at work. And your mother, she got right in the car and came out to that place to see me. Right then, at eight o’clock in the morning. I’ll never forget it, when she came into that room, and everyone turned around to stare at her, and she walked straight over to me. ‘Janet,’ she said, ‘how are you feeling?’”

“I remember, Janet,” I said.