Tangled Games (Dating Games #5) - T.K. Leigh Page 0,116
covering her chest.
But I think my grandmother actually wins for best sweater. Or at least best execution. Leaves and ivy, along with a few sleigh bells, cover the shoulders and arms. On the front are what appears to be reindeer footsteps in the snow.
“Of course! ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’! It’s genius.”
“I have to admit, it was quite fun making this.”
“I’m glad.”
I watch Nora and my grandmother, the warmth and affection both women have for each other obvious. It’s no secret Nora never had a strong mother figure in her life. But my grandmother seems to have become that for her, the two often spending hours playing chess in the study.
When I first brought Nora here and my grandmother was so against the idea of us together, I never could have imagined that possibility. However, my grandmother has relaxed quite a bit over the past few years. She now cares less and less about her role as queen mother, something that used to be her sole identity. Something she clung to out of fear that if she didn’t, she’d cease to exist. Not anymore. Now, her focus is little Hunter.
Truthfully, I think she quite likes not following every little rule and requirement of royal protocol anymore. It gives her freedom to do things she actually wants. To follow her passions. While she can still be a stickler for decorum and etiquette every so often, she’s let go of certain traditions that only served to keep the idea of the royal family antiquated. My goal as king has been to allow us to be seen as a modern family, one that’s no longer resistant to change.
As for Nora’s mother, she finally got what was coming to her, something that should have happened ages ago. After my interview, her license to practice psychiatry was revoked. Not only did she lose her means of making a living, but when her latest divorce was finalized, the judge refused to award her alimony. With no other way to maintain the lifestyle she’d grown accustomed to, she reached out to Nora, pretending to be the caring mother she’d never been. So Nora bestowed the same compassion on her that she’d shown Nora all her life — absolutely none. Last I heard, she’s working as a cashier at some grocery store in Florida and living in a rundown trailer park.
As my mother once said… Karma is like a rubber band. You can only stretch it so far before it comes back and smacks you in the face.
Nora’s mother has finally gotten the smack in the face she’s always deserved.
“Why don’t you all head into the living room,” I suggest. “I just need to change, then I’ll be right down.” I give Nora a kiss on the cheek and tousle Hunter’s hair before dashing up to our bedroom.
Thanks to the infusion treatments I’ve started, I can dash most days. Some are still better than others. There are times I do need to use a cane to help me get around. I’ve finally accepted my diagnosis, though. I thought I had years ago, but there was still quite a bit of denial at play. Especially when I refused to try a different treatment plan and constantly pushed myself to my limits just to prove to everyone I could do things. That there was nothing wrong with me.
Because of that, I almost lost Nora.
Never again.
I may have MS, but MS doesn’t have me. I won’t let it.
As I slide on my jeans, a knock sounds. I glance toward the door. “Come on in.”
“Hey.” Esme peeks her head in. “Do you have a minute?”
I nod subtly. “Sure.”
She walks in and closes the door behind her, then sits on the reading chair in the corner. “I saw who you’ve assigned to be on the security detail for my diplomatic trip in January.”
“I have no control over who’s assigned to you, Esme. You know that. That decision comes from the General of the Royal Guard and is based on who’s best at what they do.”
She smiles, but it feels forced. “That may be true, but you have the power to override his decisions, especially when your chief protection officer is being pulled from your detail. I’m just looking out for your safety, Anders.”
“And I appreciate that. But I’m not doing any traveling next month, which is why you’re taking this trip in my place. I have some infusion treatments