Stages of Grace - By Carey Heywood Page 0,28

carryon while he pulls my big bag. I follow him up the drive.

Ryan walks right in the front door, booming "Kate! Where are you? I've got Grace."

My grandmother's house smells like a can of lavender air freshener, a nice smell but not the real thing. The first room is a sitting room that looks like no one ever sits in. My parents had a room like that when I was growing up, the room I was never allowed to play in unless we had company, and then it wasn’t to play in but to sit politely while the grownups talked. The sitting room leads into a pretty little kitchen with a breakfast nook that opens onto a screened-in outdoor room with a pool.

"The lanai," I hear. I recognize the voice from our phone calls.

I follow Ryan out on to the pool deck.

"How lovely," I smile, looking around.

"What was that? Come closer so I can get a look at you." My grandmother is seated at a bistro table by the pool.

I approach her, not certain if I am expected to hug her or not, this being the first time we have met. My grandmother looks me up and down. I attempt to smooth the wrinkles from my slacks before pulling the clip from my hair in an attempt to look more presentable.

"You look like your mother, only her hair was brown, not blonde. You must have gotten that from your father. Come closer so I can see your eyes better."

I shoot a panicked look at Ryan, making him laugh before lowering my face to be closer to my grandmother's.

"Your mother's eyes were brown. You must have gotten your blue ones from your father as well."

"I did." Somehow, being told my own parents’ appearances is annoying me. Doesn’t she realize I am fully aware that my mother had brown hair and eyes? And my father had blonde hair and green, not blue, eyes.

"Well, you're a pretty little thing. Don’t you think so, Ryan? Isn’t my granddaughter pretty?"

I look at my feet, turning red. How embarrassing.

"You have a lovely granddaughter, Miss Kate. I'll be off so you two can get acquainted." He turns to me, "It was great to meet you, and I hope you enjoy your visit. I'll put your cases in the guest room on my way out." I blush.

"Thank you Ryan. You are a sweetheart" Kate gushes.

"Anything for my favorite lady."

After Ryan leaves, I sit on the other side of Kate. There is a plate of sliced cheese and crackers on the table and a pitcher of lemonade. I help myself as I wonder how to ask my grandmother what had happened between my mother and her. I am conscious to not fill my plate. I don’t want to seem like I’m gorging myself, but I’m not sure when or what we will be having for dinner. It is mid-afternoon, and my grandmother is old. Don’t older people like to eat early and be in bed by eight?

"Is it alright if I make a phone call? I just want to let my, ah, well, Jon know that I made it here safely."

"Of course."

I stand and walk over to the other end of the pool and sit on a deck chair. Jon is still at work and doesn’t answer when I call. I leave him a quick message letting him know I am fine. After I hang up I realize I did not tell him I love him. I sit for a moment, trying to recall the last time I had. It has been some time. Shaking that thought from my head, I walk back over to my grandmother.

"Everything alright, dear?"

"Yes. I just left a message."

"Well, that's nice."

We spend the remainder of the afternoon like that, in silence. It’s not an uncomfortable silence. I just have so many questions and am not sure how to ask them. I know I am here to meet my grandmother, and clearly, we have accomplished that. What else does she want with me for a week? Once we finish the food on the table, she gets up and begins stacking the plates and silverware. I notice the cane beside her. When Kate goes to turn with the plates in one hand, cane in the other, I stop her.

"Here, let me carry these."

"Oh, alright. Just follow me."

Standing and using a cane, my grandmother seems shorter than she had in the photo I have of her. Is that osteoporosis? Otherwise, she is on the slim side on