A different path

Harley had been openly Lesbian for the last few years. She’d also been living with Epilepsy, heart issues as well as Hashimoto’s. She’d sworn off ever driving or having kids. Neither were safe for her to do. She’d led a relatively normal life despite her health issues. She’d sworn off love after a few bad experiences. Life in a small town didn’t help. She had severe trust issues from people doing her wrong in some way throughout the years. She had no interest in being in a relationship while living in the town she’d been raised in. She didn’t trust anyone enough to do so. She’d been working in Retail for the last three years. The hours and pay weren’t anywhere close enough to survive on her own. She could barely afford the essentials. She’d begun doing things differently in hopes of being able to save enough to leave. There wasn’t anything for her in the town she was in. 

She reflected on her current life. How much things had changed. She’d left six months prior after she’d placed her dad in an Assisted Living Facility. He’d been showing signs of Dementia for a while. He’d tripped over his own feet and fell after getting out of the car. He’d gotten home late, as usual, from Karaoke at a nearby Bar. She’d called 911 knowing he needed medical attention. Medical attention he didn’t think he needed. He’d lied and downplayed everything when the Paramedics got there. They told him that he didn’t have a choice and were taking him because of him telling them he felt dizzy when trying to get up. She’d let him know she was going to go to the hospital in the morning after getting some sleep. 

Harley was happy she had the following day off. She only worked a few days a week anyway. One of the Doctors had just come in as she was getting there. He filled her in on what he’d just said before sharing everything else. He’d asked Harley out into the hallway where he told her everything that happened before she got there. That he’d sent in a Psychologist in to assess Ben’s mental state after a Neurologist suspected that Ben had Dementia. That he did indeed have early signs of it. She thanked him and asked what the process was to place him into an ALF. She wanted all three in the room to tell Ben after a plan was in place. She told him there’d be pushback if she told him alone. That he needed to hear everything she’d just been told. That it was the best decision. She’d been right. She’d also shamed him for his reaction. That she’d not be able to take care of him long term. She pointed everything out that she’d not be able to do if she were to go into a Caregivers role. She’d told him Talia and Aria would be ashamed of him as well. 

She reflected on Talia and Aria’s deaths years prior. On scenarios that would’ve played out if both of them were alive. How much she missed them. How much her deaths affected her. She’d let Adam, her boss, know what was going on when she went in for her next shift. She’d planned on going into work until the day before she left. One of the last conversations she had with him was taking money out of his account to make sure she could pay the few bills she knew would have to be paid that she wouldn’t be able to pay herself. Along with paying the rent. He kept making comments about wanting to go back home. She shamed him one last time reminding him of everything she’d already told him before deciding to have no contact with him until she brought everything she knew he’d need. She’d washed and sorted all of Ben’s clothes. She donated the ones she knew he’d never wear again before taking everything else to him at the ALF. He’d let the Realty company know everything else as well. They were willing to let her out of the lease without any financial consequences given the circumstances. She paid for the next two months with Ben’s card. She hoped it would be enough time to save some money for wherever she moved to. She knew it’d likely not be anywhere near enough. 

The last conversation she had with Ben was an argument over the car. She’d pointed out he no longer needed it. That his license had been taken away during the Hospital stay. That they’d gone over that. He’d pushed back on nearly everything. He didn’t want to accept the fact he was no longer able to have the life he’d once had. Not having any visitors the majority of the time didn’t help. His actions and behaviors had spoken for him. People that had come to visit were often met with him pleading to talk to Harley. Harley had been open about what she’d seen. Nobody believed her until they visited him in the ALF. People who told him they weren’t going to come visit if he was going to keep doing what he’d been doing. She’d told him she was going to take the money from selling the car to help her move to wherever she moved to. He said it wasn’t a good idea. The argument ended with her telling him she wasn’t coming back anytime soon. 

She’d not saved anywhere near what she’d wanted to save before leaving. She didn’t care. She had the money from selling the car and yard sale. She’d sold the car along with having a yard sale to sell whatever she could before donating everything she knew she’d not be able to take with her. She’d left all the pictures with Ben until she was able to take them. She’d taken the money from selling the car and the yard sale. She’d moved to Miami Beach. She’d applied for and gotten Disability after arriving there. She’d gotten denied the first time. She’d appealed it and was approved. All of the documentation had been enough for her to get it. All of which happened in the year since she’d moved. She’d established patient care, gotten a case worker and got the help she needed to get approved for Disability. She’d stayed in an extended stay hotel the first three months while she looked for an apartment. She used the rest to move into an apartment with an ocean view and some furniture. She used the back pay to travel to places she’d wanted to go to. She came back with renewed faith for her future. One where she was happier than she’d been.