Tuesday Tales: From the Word BRANCH

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word prompt is BRANCH. I’m continuing with Pumpkin Spice. Anca is with Aunt Selma as they await her surgery.

“I’m at a loss here. Where do you expect me to sleep?”

“Dr. Tanner has offered you a bed. You’ll be right next door.” She frowned. “You do remember Walt, don’t you?”

Remember Walt? How could I not remember him?

“He’s a wonderful doctor. The best one I’ve ever had. So kind and understanding. He even makes house calls.” She frowned. “I did tell you he moved back last fall just before I went to St Thomas for the winter, didn’t I?”

“I don’t think you did.”

I would’ve recalled something like that. Was it possible that she was losing control over her short-term memory? Seventy-seven wasn’t that old. But it was the age at which Hester Cole had died. I shivered. This had better not be a premonition. A person didn’t need to be a witch or possess magic to have premonitions. Everyone had them eventually. It might be nothing more than deciding not to wear the blue heels one morning and almost twisting an ankle on the way to work—a sure thing in the wrong shoes. Sometimes, it was a feeling about a place or a person … and at others, it was such an intense sense of déjà vu, that I wanted to run away and hide.

“Well, he’s been my doctor ever since he came back,” Aunt Selma said, grounding me once more. “Erin and Seamus are adorable, as are Snap and Crackle, although Pop has his moments, but he’s still so young. They frequently visit the cottage. Hester likes them, too.”

If the bird approved, how could I not? Erin and Seamus were strong Irish names, good for children, but Snap, Crackle, Pop? Those had to be the family pets. No one would name their kids after the sound effects of a certain brand of cereal. But stay with him and his brood? Never. I would deal with my aunt’s delusions as soon as she was back on her feet. Perhaps Walt … Dr. Tanner … could recommend a good gerontologist. It was a popular branch of medicine now that people were living longer. I’d studied delusional behavior in seniors but, it was never a good idea to practice on family.

That’s it. Stay safe and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales