Mom slept for a while. I heard the sound of water turning on and realized she'd gotten herself into the shower, somehow. Much as I was sad to miss out on shower time with Mom, I was glad she got in there. She was starting to smell a little ripe.

Around dinner time, I put together a quick, easy meal. I brought it up to Mom in her bed. I took the other side and we sat and ate.

"This is really good," Mom said.

"It's just pasta," I said, "I guess I learned from the best."

"Clearly," Mom said.

When we were done, I cleared the plates then came...