"Well come on in", the words fall like gravel from her mouth as she directs me towards the living room with her left hand.
"How are you doing, Mom?" I ask in a flat voice, trying not t cough as I pass her, taking in a whiff of her over-dosed spray of perfume.
"Oh, ok, I guess," she replies talking to the door as she closes it. I quickly swipe my fingertips across my cheek, and then rub the lipstick off on my pants.
"Go sit on the couch and start looking at those bills on the coffee table. Do you want something to drink?" she asks.
"Yes, a glass of wine would do," I reply as I sit down in my usual corner of the couch and glance towards the bills, then look up at the sun light on the lawn outside and wish I could be fishing instead.
As she hands me the wine glass she states, "Looks like you gained more weight". The room goes black as my brain implodes silently.