Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
The television was set to play Joanna’s favourite home improvement show. She had a glass of pinot noir on the small table beside the couch and a tray with her dinner set up in front of her. She looked around the empty den and sighed. It wasn’t so long ago that she’d had a full house with plenty of activity. It’d been over eight months since Aaron and Emily had moved out, and she missed them both more with each passing day.
She didn’t much like the quiet. Having raised a family, she preferred the noise and bustle. At least she now had Eva living with her, but her teenaged granddaughter kept mostly to her bedroom. She spent an inordinate amount of time lying on her bed, scrolling on her phone. Joanna did what she could to get her to engage with life outside of her phone and iPad.
So, she was alone tonight. Eva tucked away in her bedroom. Emily and Aaron off doing whatever it was they did these days. Gwen hadn’t returned her calls all afternoon. Debbie was having some kind of crisis at the office and couldn’t get away. And so, Joanna had been left to her own devices.
Most of the time, she was fine with it. But tonight, she’d wanted some company. She was feeling a little sorry for herself. Nothing major. She knew she was blessed. But sometimes she really wished Ron hadn’t died and left her alone for the last decades of her life. It wasn’t fair.
There was a knock at the door. She set down her cup of hot chocolate and hurried to answer it. She flicked on the porch light first, then peered through the peephole. It was Chris. She opened the door with a smile.
“Good evening. How are you? Why don’t you come on in? I’m having hot chocolate.”
He grinned and stepped over the threshold, then leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I love hot chocolate.”
Her heart fluttered. If there was one person in the world she would like to spend the evening with, it was Chris. He was always so positive, encouraging and kind. He was the best kind of company. And when she was feeling lonely, he always seemed to know the right thing to say to help her feel better.
She made him a drink, just the way hers was made with a spoonful of honey, and carried it to the den, with him trailing after her.
“I’m watching this show where they take an old home where a family is living and turn it into their dream home. It always makes me cry. Do you want to join me?”
He sat on the couch beside her and took the offered mug. “I was about to watch the same thing myself. I enjoy seeing the way they fix the places up. They have such great ideas.”
“Yes, they do,” she said, eyeing him curiously. She hadn’t picked him as the type to watch such a tear-jerker. “I’m surprised you like it.”
“I love a good reno. Mmmm… Delicious. What is this flavour?”
“Honey. I love to sweeten it up a little more.”
“It’s delicious.” His eyes gleamed. “You really have a talent for improving things.”
“Thank you,” she replied. Why did his words impact her so much? People told her she was good with flavours all the time. It’s what she’d dedicated herself to. But having Chris compliment her hot chocolate had encouraged her deeply.
“What have you been up to today?” she asked.
“Gardening and some bill paying. I went into town to look at vacuum cleaners. Can you believe mine gave up the ghost after twenty-two years? I was beginning to wonder if it would outlive me.” He chuckled and took another sip.
“They don’t make them like that anymore,” she said.
He nodded and murmured his agreement. “And how is Eva? Did she speak to her parents yet?”
“She called them earlier,” Joanna replied. “There was a lot more shouting than I’d hoped for.”
“Oh no,” he said. “That’s not good.”
“No. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with her. But she’s staying here for now, at least. And then we’ll have to talk about the future.”
“It won’t be long until the baby arrives,” he said.
“Two weeks,” she replied. “Not long at all. And I haven’t had a baby in the house in thirty-odd years. That will be a strange thing. If she stays, of course.”
“I can’t imagine—all that crying, no sleep, toys all over the place. But I suppose that’s what happens when my grandchildren visit, and I cope fine with it. Although, they’re not so small anymore.”
“Yes, that’s all true. But I have to admit I love every moment of it. It’s been far too quiet around here lately. It will be nice to have some noise again. I miss it.”
He studied her for a moment, his eyes crinkling around the edges. “You like the noise?”
“I like having people around. Since Emily and Aaron moved out, it just hasn’t been the same. But now that Eva is here, I’m hoping she’ll emerge from her bedroom on occasion and spend some time with me.”
“It does get lonely,” he said suddenly. “I know what you mean.”
She smiled at him and took a sip of wine. “I’m glad you came over tonight.”
“Me too,” he replied.
“Would you like some wine? I have pinot noir—it’s delightful. And there’s biscotti. I made it a few days ago, so it’s perfectly crunchy.”
He grinned. “That sounds delicious. Sign me up.”
After the show was over and they’d finished off the bottle of wine and eaten several pieces of biscotti, Joanna pulled out her Scrabble set.
“Do you play?” she asked, holding it up.
“I haven’t in a while, but I’ll try. Of course, you’re an author, so I’m sure you’ll beat me resoundingly.”
She laughed. “I write recipes. It’s not so hard to do. I don’t think it gives me a Scrabble advantage.”
“You’re far too modest,” he said, getting comfortable in his chair. “Let’s play.”
They played for an hour before Eva waddled out of her bedroom in search of something to eat. Joanna got up to fix her a bowl of ice cream and some biscotti. She kissed her granddaughter on the cheek.
“I heard the yelling earlier. Are you okay, honey?”
Eva shrugged, her lower lip protruding slightly. “They don’t understand. I want to stay here and have my baby with you. They said I have to come home, that you’re too old to help me raise her.”
Joanna’s eyebrows arched in surprise. What a thing for Karen to say about her own mother. “Too old, huh? Well, this old lady is happy to help you in any way I can. But of course, you should respect your parents’ wishes.” She wasn’t exactly sure what to say. She was on Eva’s side, but Eva was still a child and under the guardianship of her parents. Karen and Bill wanted the best for her—she knew that. But they had a lot of friction with Eva, no doubt after years of teenaged angst and arguments.
“I’m staying here. I told them that. I said you didn’t mind at all.”
“I don’t mind, but I don’t want to cause problems with your parents. I’ll call Karen later and make sure she knows you’re going to be fine.”
“She reminded me to tell you that I’ve got to take my prenatal vitamins. I always forget, will you remind me?”
“Yes of course, I’ll set an alarm on my phone. Also, you’ve got that OBGYN appointment coming up.”
“Thanks, Gran. I’m going to eat this and go to bed. I’m exhausted.”
Chris cleared his throat, startling Eva. “Is there someone in the den?” She peered around the kitchen doorway into the den, where Chris was going over his Scrabble tiles with a pair of glasses balanced on the tip of his nose.
“It’s just Chris. He’s playing Scrabble with me.”
“Oh, okay. Well, good night, Gran.”
Joanna kissed her goodnight and reminded her to brush her teeth. It felt strange to be mothering a pregnant sixteen-year-old. How much should she instruct her? How independent should she expect her to be? And would it be crossing a line to ask her who the father was, and whether they should expect him anytime soon? She had so many questions, but she didn’t want to scare her granddaughter away. Joanna hadn’t seen her as much as she would’ve liked because of the distance between them, and she wasn’t sure what had led to the girl’s current circumstances. The last she’d heard was that Eva was a straight-A student, studying ballet and with a good group of friends. Clearly something had changed in the past year.
When she returned to the den to sit with Chris, he glanced up at her with concern on his face. “Everything okay?”
“She’s fine,” Joanna replied. “Although I’m so curious about how she’s ended up in this condition, and who the father is.”
“Have you asked her?”
“No, not yet. I’m giving her time to settle in and feel at home. We’re not particularly close. I love her to pieces, of course, but from her perspective, I’m the grandmother she only sees a couple of times per year at most, and I’ve hardly left the house in a decade. So, her only interactions with me have been over video calls and when her family came to visit. She wouldn’t remember much about living here, I don’t think.”
“Has she got any friends in town?” Chris asked.
“I don’t think so. She’s spent time with some of the local kids at the beach, but they don’t seem to be close,” Joanna replied. “Why do you ask?”
“Because she’s sixteen. And that’s important—friends her own age.”
“You’re probably right, everyone needs friends. But I can’t force it. She’ll get there. I know I’m grateful for my friends. They’ve been a lifeline to me so many times over the years.”
“It’s one of the most endearing things about you,” Chris said.
“What do you mean?”
“The way you are with your friends. You’re so good to them, and they love you in return. I admire that.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “Your friendship means so much to me as well.”
His eyes twinkled as he set three tiles on the board. “Whiz. That’s nineteen points. I’m going to win this round—I can feel it.” He rubbed his hands together. “You’re going down, JoJo.”