Tristan, Tina’s son, lies with Mary during his visit. He lives in Frederick, Maryland, where the whole family used to reside before moving to Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Tristan said he is very close with his mother, and she usually calls him to vent about caregiving.

“We talk on the phone a lot, and there’s definitely been times she’s called me and I can tell something’s up,” Tristan said. “She won’t just call me crying, but you start talking about it and she’ll get a little emotional. We all need that ability to vent a little bit.”