Jesse married a woman named Ren who’s a spitfire. She’s grounded him in ways he desperately needed. I think all of us were worried he’d end up dead or in jail if he didn’t stop making stupid decisions.
“Yep.” I shift from one foot to another. “I should actually get going. I have plans. So…”
“Oh.” He nods slowly, stepping back as if there isn’t enough space between us already. “Of course. It’s good seeing you, Piper. Have a nice rest of your day.”
Not knowing what to say, I just wave and finish the trek back to my car. When I’m in, I text Jenna to tell her I need to talk to her about my weird day when I get home tonight. Until then, I make the drive to Ainsley’s school and pick her up.
Once she’s in her car seat, I give her a bright smile. “Good day back?”
Her shoulders lift.
“Excited to see Grandma Mable?”
Her eyes brighten as she nods her head quickly, pieces of her hair flying into her face. It makes me laugh as I buckle myself in and pull out onto the road.
“I know she’s looking forward to seeing you too, Nugget.” My eyes go to the rearview to see her looking out the window. “Maybe we can stop along the way and pick her up some flowers. Want to do that?”
Her eyes meet mine before she nods again, making me smile at her. Mable always had a vase full of flowers in the middle of her table growing up. She used to have a large flower garden in her backyard that she’d make Danny help keep up. Rose, tulips, lilac bushes, and everything in between was showcased on the prettiest lawn I ever saw.
I’ve always wanted a garden like hers.
I let Ainsley pick out an assortment of flowers at the florist we stop at occasionally before going to the nursing home. Ainsley’s hand holds mine tightly as she watches the woman in a green apron tie a bright purple ribbon around the plastic that she also helped pick out.
Unfortunately, our trip isn’t as long as we’d like. When we arrive, one of Mable’s attending nurses tells me that she’s been in an episode all day. She thinks seeing us will help, but we’re only permitted to stay an hour.
And an hour … it’s not long enough, but when Mable throws a fit and asks for her husband, who’s been dead for almost twenty years, I know I need to take Ainsley home. She doesn’t recognize us and fights with the nurses who try calming her down.
It breaks my heart to see the once carefree woman with a heart of gold so lost in herself. I want to hug her, to tell her I love her, but I know it won’t do any good. And when Ainsley starts crying after Mable knocks down the vase of flowers and shatters the glass, we’re all but shoved out the door before either of us can say goodbye.
When we get home, I have to carry an inconsolable little girl into the house who clings to me like she’s only done once before after she was discharged from the hospital following the accident. Flicking on the lights to lighten the house, I know we’ll be alone until sometime after midnight and it’s for the best.
There’s something written on the whiteboard attached to the fridge door that I notice immediately as Easton’s handwriting. After setting Ainsley on the counter, I open the refrigerator to confirm the casserole he says he made is there for us to heat up.
Another apology.
Jaw ticking, I close the door and turn back to Ains. She’s wiping at her face with the back of her shirt sleeve, causing me to grab a tissue from my purse and dab her damp cheeks. “I’m sorry, Nugget. Grandma Mable will be okay, she just wasn’t feeling well today.”
Like always, she’s silent.
I think of the casserole behind me and know I should put it in the oven. But I’m tired, hungry, and admittingly a little petty, so I opt to ignore his apology dish altogether. “Want some pizza? We can eat until our stomachs hurt and watch a movie.”
I manage to get a tiny nod and sniffle from her, which eases some of the tight muscles in my neck and shoulders. After her face is dry, I set her down and tell her to go pick a movie out for us to watch while I order our favorite. Half