March 21, 2029

Dearest Tina,

My dear heart, I have been trying to reach you on the phone all day, to no avail, so I am sitting down to write to you. Only a few days ago, I sent you a letter of such misery that I can hardly stand to think of it. I have such wonderful news to tell you!

My dear Gordon has improved. No, that is not even the right word. He has HEALED! It seems like such a miracle, that I have been thanking the Lord almost continually for hours.

As I mentioned in my last letter, Jeff brought another doctor to look at my sweet baby, and this one was different. He was a neuropharmacologist (forgive me if I've misspelled the word, I never even knew there was such a thing!) This doctor, Dr. Amadi, ran some tests and said that there was nothing wrong with Gordon but that the drugs the other doctors had prescribed were causing a change in his brain chemistry, and all we had to do was stop giving them to him.

You'll remember when he was first injured, he suffered from seizures, and the medications were to control them. Jeff was very hesitant to stop the drugs at first, but Dr. Amadi assured him that the injury itself was responsible for the seizures, and the tests all showed the injury was fully healed. He said it wasn't like the bad old days when a head injury meant seizures for life.

Well, let me tell you, within hours of stopping those damned drugs, the real Gordon started to peep through the fog. Remember I said there had been moments of lucidity? In retrospect, it became obvious those moments were coming just before it was time for him to take the medications. It's one of those things that has the whole family shaking their heads. Why didn't we make the connection? It doesn't really matter, but I think the frustration will linger a long time.

Both Scott and Jeff are strutting around as if the weight of the world has been lifted from their shoulders. Scott is very vigilant, and I daresay Gordon will be 'mother-henned' for some time. Jeff shows his relief by getting back to work, complaining about how far behind he is. But for all his complaining, a smile never seems to leave his face.

Virgil and John have simply relaxed. They both pretend to ignore their brother, but I notice Virgil is still playing Debussy, and John always seems to have business in whichever room Gordon happens to be in.

My poor Alan is suffering from tremendous guilt over his previous behavior. He tried to avoid Gordon, but of course, Gordon will have none of that! Dear thing that he is, he seems to instinctively know what will make things right between them. Unfortunately for Alan, it seems bugging him to death is Gordon's method of choice.

Nobody has said anything directly to him, but as you know, Gordon is a very perceptive young man, and he knows he has been a source of grief for the family. He is doing his best to cope with it all.

I myself have decided not to wait another minute. I am going to head to the kitchen to make some triple chocolate brownies, just in case anyone should want one.

Love as always,

Ruth

PS I still would love to come for a visit, but perhaps we could put it off for a while. Maybe after Memorial Day?