The Dream - Whitney Dineen Page 0,19
at the bowling alley, she thought he was just afraid of his strong feelings for her. Oh, brother.
She keeps asking, “Why do other people have such beautiful love stories? What’s wrong with me that no one can love me?” I told her she needs to love herself first and start making some better choices. Even if she does that, there are no guarantees. Even the best love stories can change on a dime.
Jesse and Gracie tear through the front door not two minutes later. I know from things I’ve overheard down at the home that they’ve recently become an item. Apparently, it took Jesse quite a while to convince Reed’s widow that it was okay for the two of them to date and that their ten-year age difference wasn’t scandalous.
Davis’s grandmother smiles so brightly when she sees her youngest child. She looks like a little girl on Christmas morning. “Jesse, look at you!” she declares. “You’re a sight for your old mama’s eyes.”
He nearly lifts his mom off the couch as he hugs her. “Mama, it’s really you!”
“Who else would it be, you silly boy? You sure got over here fast.”
“I was just over at Gracie’s next door. You remember Gracie, don’t you?”
She smacks his arm. “Of course I remember Gracie. My word, how could you think I’d forget my own son’s wife? Now, where is Reed anyway? I want to see all my boys in the same room.”
Jesse opens his mouth and closes it three times in rapid succession. Lee finally rescues him. “He’s out of town, Mama. He’ll be so sorry he missed you, but we’ll make sure he’s here the next time you’re over.”
“That sounds just fine, honey. Thank you.”
Gracie is an older version of her daughter Emmie. She’s tall with dark blonde hair and green eyes. She’s carrying a large bouquet of daffodils. “Mama Frothingham, I’m so happy to see you!” She hands the flowers over to Lee and approaches her mother-in-law.
Mrs. Frothingham says, “You’re as pretty as a picture, Gracie. I always thought so. You know your mama and I conspired to set you and Reed up that day we met down by the river, don’t you?”
“I do know,” she says. “I’m very grateful to you both for that. If not for your consideration, we probably wouldn’t have wound up together and then we wouldn’t have had Emmie.”
“I want you to tell that husband of yours he isn’t allowed to go away on business when his mama is planning a visit. That’s just bad manners.”
Gracie starts to tear up at the comment, but quickly regroups. “I will surely inform him of that, Mama.”
Lee suggests, “Why don’t we all go sit down at the table and I’ll serve dinner?”
As Jedd and Jesse help their mother to her feet, Davis hurries to my side. “Wow,” he says. “That was unexpected.”
“It sure was,” I tell him. “I don’t know how long it’s going to last. Your grandmother will switch off almost as quickly as she turned on.”
“I know it. But just having her recognize us for a minute is a bigger gift than we’d hoped for. I wanted to say how sorry I am about your mama. That must have been really hard to lose her so young.”
“It was,” my voice is barely above a whisper. “I would have loved for her to have lived long enough to see some of her dreams come true.” I have no idea why I confess this to him. I ponder it long enough to assume it’s the intimacy of the day. But this is his family’s inner sanctum, not mine. I’m going to have to keep reminding myself that I’m their employee and nothing more or I’m liable to think his kindness means more than it really does.
Davis’s grandmother is seated at the head of the table. She indicates the chair to her right. “Ashley, sugar, I’d like you to sit next to me.” I’m surprised by the request, but immediately do as instructed.
Lee and Gracie go into the kitchen and start to bring out platters of food to the sideboard. Jedd pours wine as Mrs. Frothingham turns to me. “Did you and Davis meet in high school?”
Not wanting to give away our shared history, I dare not tell her the truth. As far as I know, Davis doesn’t remember that high school is exactly where we met. I answer, “We met in town one day.”
“I want to hear all about it.” She claps her hands together excitedly.
She might as well