Shady Pines

“And to make matters worse you involved one of your subordinates.  I am well within my rights to fire last night’s floor lead,” Nadine shouted.

The thought of someone suffering because of her actions gave Erica’s dwindling courage the boost that it needed.  Erica pulled herself up in her chair and rolled her shoulders back.  “Lily had nothing to do with it,” she said and pressed a finger to her chest.  “It was my decision not to call you.  If you want to fire anyone, it should be me.”

Nadine scowled at Erica, lifted a thick white binder and slammed it down on her desk.  “Firing you won’t stop Health and Regulations from fining our building of they get wind of this.”

“You’re wrong,” Erica countered. “Notifying a director within a set time-frame is not the same as calling a director into the building.  That’s your rule.”

Nadine sighed and walked around her desk to lean against it.  “This is my building Erica and the regulations are in place for a reason.  I pride myself of knowing the loved ones of our families…”

“Spare me, Nadine,” Erica huffed with a roll of her eyes.  “You could care less about these people or their loved ones.”

“You’re out of line,” Nadine roared.

“And the only thing you’re concerned about is what you can get,” Erica cried.  By now she was sitting on the edge of her seat.  Her hands were gripping the arms of the chair so tightly that her knuckles were white.

Nadine sighed and threw her hands in the air.  “Yelling and screaming isn’t going to get us anywhere.  What say we dial it down a little and discuss this like two adults?”

Erica leaned back in her chair.  Her eyes scoured the room until settling on a large cameo that rest on Nadine’s desk.  Nadine followed her line of sight and lifted the cameo.  “You like this?  It was a gift from a family member.  It means a lot to me.”  She held it out for Erica’s inspection.

Erica accepted it and cracked a light smile when she saw the intricate crucifix that was carved into the cream-colored shell.  Nadine pointed a finger at the cameo.  “That’s why my being present at the end of life is so important.”

“It was two am ad she was already gone, Nadine.  You being here wasn’t going to change that.” She tossed the cameo back to Nadine, “And you’re the last person that should have that!”

Nadine caught the piece of jewelry and shook her head.  “I’m not sure I follow you.”

“She was my mother,” Erica whispered, her voice shaky.  Her emotions were getting the better of her.

Nadine mistook the quiver in Erica’s voice and dropped to one knee in front of her.  “All the more reason you should have called me.  You didn’t have to handle that alone.”

Erica was ok until Nadine placed a hand on her knee.  The instant Nadine touché her, Erica slapped her hand away and jumped to her feet.  “Don’t, just don’t!  She was my mother and you weren’t going to get her!”

The glint of false concern that twinkled in Nadine’s eyes blinked away, quickly replaced by a steel gaze that bore into Erica’s.  “No one is out to get anyone, Erica.  You’re upset, grieving…”

“Stop lying to me,” Erica groaned as she reached into her shirt and pulled out a smooth metal cross.  “I know what you are.  You got Daddy, but I refused to let you get your hands on my mother.”

The change that came over Nadine wasn’t instantaneous, they were subtle nuances; the tilt of an eyebrow, slight shift of a foot, and the straightening of her back, all small changes on their own, but together they turned Nadine into a different person.  One that wasn’t quite human.