The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern Page A

Grandmother just sat there because crazy people only laugh to themselves in secret while they’re cooking up crazy plans to do all sorts of crazy things. It almost seemed like a normal Christmas. Then Grandmother handed Dad her gift.
    I honestly wasn’t expecting her to give him much. I mean she’d only given Mom a box of cologne. She’d given Layla and Tiffany lip gloss sets and me a nightgown that was four sizes too small. So her gifts were under the top, to say the least.
    She gave Dad an envelope and watched him open it. Her face looked intense and even crazier than usual.
    He pulled out a business card. “What is this, Mom?”
    â€œIt’s the card of the top neurologist in Saint Louis. The wait to see him is usually a year long, but I did some pushing and managed to get you in the week after next. He’ll get you all fixed up. He’s the best of the best.”
    Dad was silent. We were all silent because Dad was silent. And then Dad flipped.
    â€œNo one is going to fix me up, Mom. Don’t you listen? I’ve told you over and over again. Now drop it!”
    â€œDon’t raise your voice at me!” Grandmother said while raising her voice. “I’m just trying to help. I’mjust trying to talk some sense into you. I brought you up to be more responsible than this. You haven’t thought through a single thing!”
    â€œMom! I’ve done all the research. I’ve seen all the best doctors. I know what I’m doing!”
    â€œOh you do, do you?” Grandmother lost it. 38 “This from the man who quits his job out of nowhere. You had twenty-five years with that company. And you just threw it all away! You can’t take care of your family, let alone yourself!”
    â€œThat’s enough!” Dad locked eyes with hers. “And I mean it!”
    Mom stepped in. “Girls. Go to your rooms.”
    The three of us stood up together but Dad wanted us to sit back down. “No, stay.
Stay
.”
    Mom looked worried. “Honey, I don’t think now is the time to—”
    â€œI’d like to say something. To my family.”
    Dad locked his wheels in front of Grandmother. “Now, I appreciate your concern. But I am getting the very best care here. Dale and the girls—”
    â€œDale and the girls don’t know the first thing about taking care of you! If you’d been given the proper care and attention all along you wouldn’t be in this condition!”
    â€œThis is just like you! You don’t listen!” Dad shouted. “And then you just say all of these horrible things andyou think there are no consequences! Well, I can say horrible things too, Mom. Where have you been? The past eleven years.
Where have you been?
You hate Dad but you’re just like him. Both of you just ran away.”
    â€œI won’t stand for this.” Grandmother stood up even though she just said she wouldn’t. “Not on Christmas.” She stormed off.
    Dad yelled after her, “That makes two of us!”
    Grandmother stayed locked in Layla’s room the rest of the night. We tried to carry on with Christmas but it felt super weird. Mom even tried to get Grandmother to come out for dinner but she refused. And I was glad she did. That meant more peace for my family and more honey-baked ham for me.
    The next day Mom took her to the airport before any of us woke up. All she left behind was a bottle of her old lady lotion that I buried in the back of the linen closet. Far away from my family but close enough so if I ever needed to be reminded what crazy smelled like, I could take a sniff.
    Before I knew it, it was New Year’s Eve and my family was a family again. Mom made us black-eyed peas to eat for luck on New Year’s Day and Dad lined up a stack of records he wanted to listen to as we rang in the new year. And I thought long and hard about my New Year’s resolution. The year before I had resolved