Chapter 14
NickThe streetlights still illuminated the buckled sidewalk in front of my mother's ranch-style house when I pulled up Saturday morning.
My sister called me late Friday, asking me to check on her. A hip replacement left her with a slight limp, and at times, her arthritis made it difficult for her to get around. At only sixty-six years old, Mom could be in better health, but it could be worse. I reminded myself of this when I considered the troubles she'd faced in the past couple of years.
Using the glow of my cellphone, I located the key and let myself into the small brick house. My mother replaced the old carpet and tile with new hardwood floors and painted the walls a creamy beige as part of a remodel five years ago.
The house looked completely different than it had in the
