She had fallen apart … unable to prevent the pieces of herself from madly and disjointedly flying in different directions.
The more she tried to pull herself together … to organize her thoughts … to simply prioritize the things she needed to do, the more firmly fear settled in. Simple decisions were difficult. She was unsure, feeling more like a child than a woman.
Was she losing it again? Was this the time the downhill slide could not be reversed? Is this the way it would go? Regression. Dependence. Senility?
It took two days after arriving at her destination before she felt the parts of herself beginning to come together. It took being reminded of the basics. But even then, there were those unruly wisps of fear that were lurking just below the surface.