seeming flustered. We put her on the spot and spontaneity has never been her thing. "I have so much to do."
"You could leave after dinner if you'd like."
"Very well." She pats his hand. "I'll stay for dinner."
Tyler and I leave and decide to go into town and get a pizza. We take it to go and have dinner out back in Walter's garden. It's another one of those nights I wish I could put on repeat and do again and again. I would've stayed out there all night but at seven I forced myself to go inside and do my reading for class.
Grams ends up staying at Walter's house way past dinner. In fact, by ten I'm wondering if she'll even come home. Tyler's still working in the garage, which he's only doing to give them privacy.
I'm about to text him to just go in for the night when I hear the front door open. I race down the stairs, then see Grams and slow down to a normal pace.
"Hey, Grams," I say casually. "How was your night?"
"Very nice. I'm sorry to be out so late. Walter and I got to talking and I didn't even notice the time."
"It's fine. I don't mind. Stay out as long as you'd like."
She sets her purse in the hall closet. "I didn't get anything done. I was hoping to box up some items to take to the thrift store tomorrow."
"You can do that later. There's no rush." I follow her to the kitchen and watch as she fills a glass of water to take her blood pressure pill. "You know, I don't mind if you spend time with Walter."
"I know that, dear." She takes her pill, then pours out what's left of the water and puts the glass in the dishwasher.
"I also don't mind if you decide to um?? I don't know how to say this. I want her to know she's free to date Walter but I'm worried she'll react poorly if I even mention it.
"Decide to what?" She adjusts the dishcloth on the stove handle so the hem is perfectly straight.
"To um, take your friendship to a??ell, beyond a friendship."
There. I said it. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up but it's too late to take it back.
She walks up to me. "I asked you not to discuss my relationship with Walter."
"I know. We don't need to discuss it. I'm just saying that if your relationship became something more??ou know, like, in the future, you wouldn't have to hide it from me."
"And I would say the same to you in regards to Tyler," she snaps. "Goodnight, Faith." She turns and walks out of the kitchen.
She's mad at me. Is it because I talked about her and Walter? Or is it because she thinks I'm dating Tyler? Does she know I'm dating him? She almost acted like she did. But how would she know? Did Walter tell her? But Walter doesn't know. I wish Grams would just tell me what's wrong instead of making me guess.
When I get up to my room I call Tyler. "I think Grams knows about us."
"She doesn't know. She just wants you to think she knows so you'll admit it."
"Did anything happen after I left?"
"Something definitely happened."
"Really? What?"
"I went to the shed to get something and when I came back they were going at it on the hood of the car."
I sigh. "Would you please not joke about this?"
"Why not? Why are you getting all serious about it? They're dating. Big deal. And to answer your question, no, I didn't see anything. They were in the house until your grandma left."
"Did Walter say anything when you went inside?"
"He just told me goodnight and went to bed. Speaking of that, I need to get some sleep before my date."
I smile. "You have a date?"
"Yeah, this really hot girl invited me over. I'm sneaking in her room around midnight."
"And what are you and this girl going to do?"
"Can't tell you. Her grandma might be listening in. She wouldn't approve of the things I'll be doing to her granddaughter later."
I'm getting hot just thinking about what those things might be.
"Then I guess I should let you get your sleep. Goodnight, Tyler."
A half hour later I hear a tap on my window. I get up and open it and see Tyler there, at eye level, smiling at me.
I lift up the window. "What are you doing here? We said midnight."
"Couldn't wait." He kisses me, then nudges me aside as he crawls