herself not to reach out to hug her grandson. “Come in, Augustus. We have fifteen minutes to talk, then we’re expecting some friends. Please be quick.”
Gus stepped into the old familiar kitchen. He noticed that it had been upgraded at some point. He should have known that, but he didn’t. Everything was bright and cheery, with spanking-new, state-of-the-art appliances. He marveled at the built-in coffee machine.
“Coffee?”
“No, we don’t drink coffee; we drink herbal tea. It’s supposed to be good for old people’s digestion. With lemon,” Violet said, frost dripping off her words.
“Okay, I’ll take that,” Gus said, sitting down at the table.
“We’re fresh out. Today is grocery-shopping day,” Iris said.
Gus shrugged. He could see the three of them weren’t going to give an inch. “I brought the van back. Here are the keys. Thanks for the loan,” Gus said, sliding the keys across the table to where his grandmother was sitting. “The van sure runs nice.”
“We had it tuned up recently,” Rose said flatly.
Gus stared at the unfriendly faces of the three sisters glaring at him. Once, those same faces had been full of love. For him. Once. He cleared his throat and folded his hands. “I . . . I want to tell you that I love you all. My love has never wavered. I got derailed and . . . and I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to believe me, but I had this plan that I was going to make our situation better this week, regardless of what Elaine said. I just needed to get through yesterday. I know I hurt you, but that was never my intention. I was so . . . so blinded, I just couldn’t see straight. Elaine became my world, twenty-four/seven. She was my siren, and, unlike Odysseus, I didn’t have any protection against hearing her song.
“I can’t unring the bell. I would if I could, you know that. If you want me to get down on my knees, I will. All I can say is I’m sorry. And, I have a confession to make as well, and when I do, I know full well that you are going to boot my ass out of here. But I’m going to tell you anyway.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t tell us. Maybe you should just leave before we do boot your ass out of here,” Violet snapped.
Before anyone could say anything else, Gus blurted out that he’d put Elaine’s name on the deed to his house.
The three women rose from the table as one and leaned across until their faces were inches from Gus’s.
“You did WHAT?” the sisters said in unison.
“She . . . she had this . . . this way of kissing me that . . . it was like I had no will of my own. I just did it.”
“This is just too pitiful to listen to,” Iris said. “I cannot believe you turned into such a wuss. I can’t deal with stupid; I’m leaving.”
“I don’t expect you to understand; you’re old,” Gus said.
The Blossom sisters were on him then like fleas on a dog, pummeling Gus as they attempted to yank him from his chair and push him to the door. All three of them were screeching at the top of their lungs about being old, working their fingers to the bone so he could have a good life, and how they knew what sex was all about because they’d had some of the best sex in the universe during their earlier years. It was Rose’s voice that drowned out everyone else’s. “And you gave it away to that . . . that person! Shame on you, Augustus Hollister! Now leave my house!”
“I will not leave this house until . . . until . . . Okay, I’m going.” Tears burning his eyes, Gus got up from the table and headed for the kitchen door. He turned around and said, “Will you at least keep Wilson until I can find a place that will accept dogs?” His eyes were wet and burning so badly, he could barely see.
“Yes,” Rose said. “Did you bring his things?”
“I did. I put them by the back door. I’ll get them. Granny, I’m sorry, really sorry. I don’t know what else to say. If you need me for anything, you can reach me at the office or call me on my cell phone. If you still have the number.”
“Don’t you have that all a little backward, nephew?” Iris said. “Why would we need you? You’re here.