Forgotten Flowers: A Novel of Redemption and Second Love

With his wifes memory lost due to a traumatic brain injury Daniel Kilgore volunteered at Magnolia Garden an assisted living facility hoping he could learn how to resurrect his wifes fading memories. He was drawn to three residents Delores Samuels Mary Hillman and Sandra Cotton. Why were they placed there only to be forgotten? Daniel knew they had lives that deserved to be remembered. Marys husband George Sandras son Jim and Deloress son Fred would endure their own emotional epiphany causing them to go to the Gardens for atonement. Would it be in time? His wifes caretaker Dr. Jane Lincoln would expose Kilgores own emotional confliction between his past and their future. He would struggle with the memories of his past and the chance to make new memories. With unconscionable greed George Hillman destroyed his wifes dream of being a mother. As her health and mind faded and faced with round the clock home care George placed Mary in Magnolia Gardens. He took solace in the arms of Gilda Ellis a decision that would have dire consequences. Sandra Cotton was more of a mother than a grandmother to her son Jims two children Samantha and William. She soothed their scrapes and bruises eased the pains of puppy love and nurtured their dreams. An unwed mother at eighteen was more than Jims wife Carrie would take. Samantha was sent to live with her sister in North Carolina and put the baby up for adoption. The sound of Samanthas voice hearing her laughter was the very air her grandmother lived for without it Sandra wallowed in depression and eventually lost any sense of reality. Through a friend Jim and Carrie placed Jims mother in Magnolia Gardens. Delores Samuels struggled to live on her own. Her son Fred traveled extensively due to work and had little time to look in on her. Freds wife Shelia was devoted to herself and offered no relief. Deloress other son Mitchell and his wife Brenda were her primary caretakers. Mitchells untimely death in an automobile accident in which Brenda held Shelia responsible for forced Fred to focus on his mothers decline mental state. Sandras care was more than Brenda and Fred could handle. Sandras doctor recommended they place Sandra in Magnolia Gardens. He volunteered at Magnolia Gardens to give dignity and worth to the forgotten. Learning to draw out old memories from frail minds was Daniel Kilgores other reason. His wife Vivian a paraplegic was suffering from memory loss. A visit to his mother would clear the other. When Brenda Samuels told Fred about her visit with his mother Fred faced his failings. He didnt like what he saw. When she needed him the most Fred had failed his mother but no more. Fate would play a cruel hand in the three mens plan but she would be much kinder to Daniel and Jane. She convinced him old memories and new ones were not mutually exclusive. He convinced her risk making new ones.