telling her storylines after she let it slip that my character wasn’t dead, but merely in a coma. The leak ended up on a ton of social media sites. I was so new on the show and I was terrified that I was going to get fired, but thankfully I was already such a fan favorite that I retained my job.
“Isn’t my granddaughter beautiful, Holden?”
My eyes shot to Gam. I’d asked her, repeatedly, not to ask people that.
“Yes, she is.” he smiled politely.
“Sasha just found out her boyfriend, the actor that plays Trent is cheating on her with the actress that plays the nurse, in real life. Talk about art imitating life.”
This conversation was just getting worse and worse. My decision to be my Gam’s plus one was proving to be a terrible one. I should’ve just stayed home, poured my six mini-bottles of Absolute into sweet tea, and cried.
“I would set you two up”—Gam waved her hand between us—“but Holden here just started shackin’ up with our yoga instructor.”
It was like a ping pong game of who she could embarrass more. Right now, I would say it was game point.
“I would love to stay and chat with you ladies, but I have a best man errand that I need to run before the ceremony.”
“Go!” Gam released Holden’s arm and waved him off. “What are you doin’ standin’ around flappin’ your jaws?”
Holden’s smile was genuine, and it made me feel good seeing his palpable affection for Gam. “It was nice to meet you, Sasha.”
I waved. “You, too.”
As Holden walked away, Gam leaned over to me. “He looks just as good comin’ as he does goin’ if ya know what I mean.”
I did know what she meant. Holden was a good-looking guy, but I hoped I hadn’t just experienced a preview of what was in store for me at this wedding. I figured it was my chance to speak up or forever hold my peace. “Gam, can you please keep what happened between Drake and me between us.”
“Of course, dear.” She patted my hand and started walking to the church as if she hadn’t just divulged very sensitive information to a complete stranger. “That’s no one’s business.”
Even though I had a feeling it was pointless, I still pushed on. “And as much as I appreciate and love the fact that you think I’m beautiful, can you not ask people if I am. It puts them in an awkward position and makes me feel uncomfortable.”
“I would never do that, Chipmunk. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.”
I could point out that she had just done that, but there was no point. Gam was a free-spirit, she was like the wind. There was no controlling her. She said what she wanted to say, did what she wanted to do, and lived how she wanted to live.
For years, I’d been trying to entice her to come out to California. Every few weeks I’d send her links to active senior communities near me. I worried about her being here all by herself. I’d hired her a gardener and tried several times to bring someone in to cook and clean, but she was having none of that.
She insisted she was just fine looking after herself in her own home. But I was the only family she had in the country. My mom was in Japan with stepfather number five. Apparently, he was a successful businessman. I’d only met him twice; the second time was at their wedding.
My mom had a penchant for whirlwind romances. She loved getting swept up in the heat of the moment. I didn’t mind it now, since I was an adult and didn’t have to be around for the inevitable collateral damage that her hurricane love stories left in their wake.
As a kid, it hadn’t been the most stable environment to grow up in. I was constantly moving. Constantly trying to fit in at schools and with new families. My mom married five men, but she’d had twelve boyfriends. So that was seventeen men, total, that had been “father figures” in my life. I was lucky that they’d all been great men. I couldn’t speak for this last one, but everyone before him had been stand up guys.
I was grateful that none of them had been abusive in any way. That was the main reason that I felt shitty about even complaining about them. But it had still been hard. I got attached to them and then they would be gone. They’d