A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,11
asked hopefully a moment later, as she licked the last bit of lemon curd off of her fingers. “He loves lemon bars.”
The slightly lopsided panda bear on her other side had a pitiful expression on his face and Debbie couldn’t hold back a chuckle anymore. “I think Panda might get a little sticky if he ate one. Remember what happened when Paddington had those pastries?” She’d read the classic children’s story to Kaya the last time the grandkids had spent the night.
Kaya regarded the stuffed animal, then said, “You’re probably right. He hates baths, so that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Uh-huh.” Debbie started stacking up their dishes. “Okay, honey. What do you want to do now? Maybe you could work on coloring in your pictures on Grandpa’s birthday card while I load the dishwasher?”
“Okay, Grandma.” Kaya grabbed her two stuffies and carried them over to the dining room table, which was half-covered by a large piece of butcher paper and about a hundred loose crayons. As soon as Libby had dropped Kaya off that morning, Kaya had insisted she needed to make a really big card for Grandpa’s upcoming birthday. Debbie had helped her with the lettering, but the rest of it was all Kaya.
Debbie stood at the sink, washing their plates, her heart filling with each furtive glance at her granddaughter. Her family meant the world to her. When she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she’d wondered if she’d have the chance to see the little ones grow up. Now, with a clean bill of health from her oncologist a few months ago, she intended to make the most of her time with them and the rest of her family.
Years before her cancer diagnosis, after her kids had moved out of the house, Debbie had started her own catering business. Meg had opted to stay near the college she’d attended in Oregon to pursue a culinary career, but Libby had joined Debbie in her business, and Samantha, who worked full-time during the year as a physical education teacher at the local high school, helped out on occasion.
While Debbie was undergoing chemotherapy treatments, she and the girls had drastically reduced the number of catering jobs they’d accepted. Now that Debbie was better, Libby had hinted that she’d like to grow their business even more. Secretly, though, Debbie would much rather stay home and spend time with her grandkids.
But how could she say that to Libby? Libby had been her rock while she’d undergone treatments, driving her to appointments and helping her at home. Debbie’s husband, Peter, had done what he could, but he worked full-time and wasn’t around during the day. She wasn’t sure what they would’ve done without Libby’s help.
Debbie finished washing the last dish and set it in the wooden rack to dry. The sun shone through the window over the sink, and she turned her face up to enjoy its warmth. These were days worth remembering.
“Grandma?” Kaya’s voice broke through Debbie’s thoughts. “Want to see the card?”
“Definitely.” Debbie dried her hands on the terrycloth hand towel hanging from the oven door and walked over to the dining room table. “Oh, honey, that’s wonderful.”
Kaya’s chest swelled with pride. “I know. Grandpa’s going to love it.”
Debbie grinned at her. “He sure is.” Kaya had folded over the length of butcher paper to form a card measuring about three feet by two feet. She’d drawn a birthday cake in the middle, surrounded by stick figures. “Can you tell me about it?”
Kaya stabbed her fingers at the thick paper. “That’s a chocolate cake because Grandpa loves chocolate cake. And those are all of us in the family. You, Mommy, Daddy, Auntie Meg, Auntie Samantha, and my sister and brothers.” She giggled. “And me, of course. I’m the one next to Grandpa with the balloon.”
“It’s beautiful. Is it okay if I move it to somewhere safe until Grandpa’s birthday?” Debbie lifted the corners of the card, considering the size of it. Where was she going to put this until the end of the month?
“I guess that’s okay. But don’t bend it,” Kaya instructed.
“I won’t.” Debbie took it upstairs and opened the closet in her craft room. She still had an old portfolio holder in the back, and the card fit perfectly. Before leaving, Debbie hesitated for a moment in the middle of the room. Projects of all types covered the table and filled the bookshelves. She’d gotten back into crafting recently and couldn’t wait to finish some of