Nellie

Nellie finds herself alone, confused, desperate. A resident of Sycamore Acres memory care unit, life makes no sense anymore. Where are her boys? Why don't her friends come around? Where are the people who care for her? Her fellow residents hate her. The feeling is mutual. Worst yet, the staff at Sycamore Acres make her life a living hell. Her daily routine is redundant conflict. They look at her with disdain, they treat her like a troubled child. Her mind tries to make sense of her situation, but it fails. Glimpses of wonderful memories are pushed back, replaced by her current reality.Audrey is one of Nellie's caregivers. Each day, her stomach lurches at the thought of dealing with Miss Nellie. The cantankerous older woman makes every interaction difficult. Issues with other residents, battles with the simplest routines--it is just exhausting. It would be nice if work was a place of solace, a place she could escape her life, but it is not.Audrey's life is a mess. Her fifteen-year-old daughter, Simone, is having trouble at school. She has begun to see an older boy. Their mother-daughter relationship is strained. Audrey's husband, Silas, had committed suicide three years prior, and her life has been spiraling out of control ever since. Feelings of helplessness are winning.When Nellie dies, Audrey is forced to attend her funeral. No one could imagine the catalyst this event would be. Learning about the woman Nellie was, the impact of her life, sets Audrey off on a journey of discovery that could change everything. Could her nemesis become her savior?

-- Brad Heyen