Chapter 8 #3
“Don’t exaggerate, Grams. Only in the known universe.” Sadie had an arm around her waist.
Bonnie looked over at her and up a little bit. “You’re both taller than me, now. That makes three of you! At least your mother won’t be dwarfing me anytime soon.”
Sally got the door and they all went inside where Sam was waiting. “I ordered in, Mom, so you wouldn’t feel compelled to feed us on short notice. We waited for you.”
“Not by choice,” Sally said. Her dad and sister sent her looks, and she said, “What? It’s KFC.”
“Oh,” Bonnie said. If she ate that stuff, she’d be sick for the following two days. “It’s a shame I ate with the girls, but hey, go set the table and enjoy. Maybe I’ll nibble a little.”
The girls ran to the kitchen.
“It’s so good to see you, baby,” Bonnie said when they had the room to themselves. She hugged her tall, sturdy son, and felt the gun he was almost never without. Usually that bothered her a little, but today she was rather glad he had it.
“How about we sit and let them do the work?” she asked. She led Sam from the foyer toward the living room while the kids ran back and forth between kitchen and dining room table. “Fifteen’s a good age, from my angle. How is it from yours?”
“Lately?” Sam said. “It’s been rough. They’re not taking it well that we’re moving.”
“You’re moving?”
“You guys want some of this?” Sadie called. “My sister’s going to eat it all in about two minutes.”
“Am not,” Sally said with her mouth full. And a second later, she appeared in the living room with a big platter of deep-fried heartburn, set it on the coffee table, and gave a little bow. She had her own plate in her other hand and sank onto the fireplace hearthstone with it.
“Thanks, Sally,” Sam said.
“Where are you moving?” Bonnie asked.
“Oh, you’re telling her?” Sally raised her voice. “Sadie, he’s telling her.”
“Wait for me!” Sadie came in with her plate in one hand, a small serving tray full of dipping sauces in the other. “Okay, tell her where we’re moving,” she said.
Bonnie’s heart sank. Where was Sam taking her grandchildren this time?
They’d left New York state when the twins had still been in middle school.
Might as well have stabbed her in the heart.
Where would it be next? Further away, no doubt, or he wouldn’t be here breaking the news in person. West coast? Alaska? Jupiter? Where?
Her eyes burned. She looked at the food, and that made them burn even more.
“Here,” Sam said. “We’re moving here.”
It took her a second. She blinked away the awful tears, but they were quickly replaced by happy ones. “You’re moving here?” She sprang to her feet. “Oh, Sam, you’re coming home?”
“We sure are, Mom. We’ve narrowed it down to four houses, and we’re looking at those in person this week.
That’s why we had to come so late tonight.
The first showing is early in the morning and I don’t want to miss it.
I was uh, hoping we could spend a few nights here, but we can go to a hotel if you—”
“This is your home, baby. I’d never send you to a hotel. And that goes for you kids, too,” she said. “Gram’s door is always open for you.” She frowned at Sam then. “Honey, where’s Marina?”
“Oh, she had to work,” he said, and Bonnie noticed how he averted his eyes, and how the kids got very busy eating. “She’ll be joining us in the morning, though.”
“Good, that’s good. So…” She opened her hands at her sides, shaking her head quickly. “Why? What brought this on?”
“Buried the lead, didn’t you Dad?” Sadie asked.
“Well, I think the move is the lead, for Grams,” he said, “but uh, I also got a new job.”
“As a detective on the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office,” Sadie said, pride in her voice.
“Damn straight,” Sally added, and at a look from her father, “I mean Darn. Darn straight.”
Bonnie knew her own smile had frozen in place. “A detective,” she repeated.
“It’s a big deal, Grams,” Sadie said. She was looking at her curiously, probably wondering at her lack of enthusiasm.
Bonnie snapped herself out of her sudden vision of her own son snapping handcuffs on her, plastered a big, fat, smile on her face, and said, “It’s just such a surprise.
Detective! Sam, I’m so proud of you!” She hugged him again.
“Oh, I’ll walk a foot taller around town and dwarf both of you fast-growing trees.
” Smacking her hands on her thighs, she said, “We have to celebrate! When your mom gets here we’ll plan a special dinner, okay kids? ”
“Yeah!” they said limply and returned to eating.
They talked, and they laughed, and they ate for an hour and a half, and by then it was ten-thirty, and Bonnie was wiped out.
“We can make up our own rooms, Mom,” Sam said after he’d cleaned up the mess from dinner. “You look beat.”
Bonnie raised her eyebrows. “You’re kidding, right? I keep the spare rooms ready and waiting, just in case some stray descendant shows up. Sam, you can have your old room. You two girls, take the guest room. It’s bigger, with two beds.”
The girls hugged her goodnight, and headed upstairs, gathering their rolling suitcases from where they’d been left near the front door. “Night, Grams,” they said in unison.
“Night, Sadie. Night, Sally. I love you, and I’m so glad you’re home.” After they were out of sight, she said, “I’m going up soon, too,” with a glance at her shoulder bag, which was hanging from the hat tree near the front door. Would it look suspicious when she took it up to bed with her?
“Me, too,” Sam said. Then he lowered his head. “Mom, I’m sorry it’s been so long.”
“Oh, that’s okay. You’re busy,” she said. “Go on up. I think I just want to sit for a minute and…decompress.”
“All right.” He gave her a peck on the cheek, smiling. When he met her eyes with his blue ones, she knew there was more going on than her son was telling her. And then she wondered with a little flicker of panic whether he could tell the same about her.