he found me. I didn’t even have time to call Garrett. I think I ran over something. And before you ask, Izzy and I were fine. All those lessons on keeping both hands on the wheel when you were teaching me how to drive came in handy.”
“Told you it would.” I toss her a wink.
She laughs lightly as she walks over to Molly’s headstone. Running her fingers over the top softly, she whispers, “Hey, Momma.” She turns back to me. “Did we miss it?”
“Yes.” I hand her the journal.
She grabs it and opens it to the spot I marked. I know Gray enjoys hearing Molly’s voice through her words, but Gemma lives by them. She once told me that in a way it keeps her mother alive.
She wears a soft expression as she reads over the entry. Morgan’s on the ground crawling toward the fresh dahlias. Before she can grab a handful of them with her fist, I pluck one out of the vase and pick her up. She squeals in excitement and shoves it into her face after I hand it to her.
Molly would have fallen instantly in love the first moment she laid eyes on Morgan with her green eyes and red hair. She would have fallen in love with all of our grandchildren.
“How’s the DeWrite job going?” I ask Gray, closely watching Morgan in case she decides to eat the flower.
“Pretty good, actually. John’s coming in next week to check out one of the pieces I’ve finished already.”
“The auction is in a month, right?”
After Gray graduated college, he came to me with the hopes of stepping on board with Bradshaw Designs. There was never any question on whether I wanted him to work with me. It took him a little while to catch his niche, but once he really started focusing, he became damn good. So much so, a couple of years ago, I informed him I was signing over half of the company to him. A year after that, I stepped down and let him control the reins. I still come in on bigger jobs when he needs the help, and I’m around for the administrative side, but I’ve let him take over the hands-on work.
John DeWrite, a long-time client, contacted Gray several weeks ago about a charity auction he’s holding to help raise funds for afterschool programs for low-income families. We’re donating several pieces to be auctioned off.
“Let me know if you need help with the others.”
“I was thinking,” he says, turning so he can keep Mav in his sights as he starts exploring the cemetery. “Why don’t you do one of the pieces yourself? Bradshaw Designs is what it is today because of you, and that’s the reason why John asked us to donate. One of them should have your signature on it.”
I nod. “I’ll come up with a concept this week and swing by the office.”
When Gray took over more of the company, he mentioned getting a bigger building. With Molly gone and Gray and Gemma not living at home anymore, there was really no need for him to keep working out of the building on my property. He found an office building big enough to accommodate our ever-growing business.
Gemma walks up beside us, her eyes glassy as she holds out the journal to me. Molly’s been gone for nearly fifteen years and she still gets teary-eyed when we read the journals.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I pull her to my side, where she snuggles against me. I give her a moment to compose herself, and my eyes fall on the seashell necklace.
“Garrett and I were thinking about taking Izzy to the lake house in a few weeks. You should come with us, Dad.” She directs her eyes to Gray next. “And you, Andrea, and the kids. We can make it a family weekend.”
“Let me get with Andrea first, but I don’t see why we couldn’t.”
She grins, then flips her eyes up to me. “That sounds like a good idea, beauty. I’m in.”
I don’t go to the lake house often. It doesn’t feel right being there without Molly. But having Gray, Gemma, and the kids there will fill the walls with laughter again.
We spend a few more minutes visiting Molly before we all call it a day. Gray and Gemma promise to not be late for their next visit. I give the kids granddude loving before they take off. As I watch them walk away, a smile on my face, the wind