8. Declan #2
Everyone resumed chopping at full speed, the volume of knives on boards deafening.
"I think that went well," I said in a measured voice so Luke, Travis, Kimberly, Sam, and Reese could hear me.
Luke jerked his head back. "Dude, Gran has been silent all this time. She only said ‘Congrats’ to Tate and Lexi. She's definitely not okay."
“Yeah. She hasn’t asked me one question,” Sam said, “and usually she wants the gritty details of everything.”
Fuck, they were right.
“Everyone just give me whatever you've chopped, and I'll put it together with the risotto," Mom said. She fried some onion before adding the rice and some wine. Then the flavors wafted through the air.
I knew Mom and Dad were dying for more details of Uncle Harvey, but with Gran so quiet, everyone held back from finding out more. Reese even looked as though she wanted to continue with further details of her visit but decided against it until the tone of the night shifted. But it never did.
The mood was serious the whole evening. After dinner, I offered to take Gran home.
She lived close to my parents, but we didn't want her to Uber, so we took turns taking her home after family events.
For some reason, I thought she'd start talking the second we got in the car, but she stayed silent.
After five minutes, I cleared my throat.
"Gran, are you okay? I've got to tell you, this silence is freaking me out."
Gran looked at me, smiling sadly. "I'm still processing."
"Yeah, but you usually process things out loud while having many opinions and not being afraid to voice any hundred of them," I teased, hoping to lighten things a bit.
"My relationship with your uncle… I don't know. After your grandfather died, things weren't the same. I wasn't the same." I knew that. I'd heard from my parents that Gran went into a depression of sorts—totally understandable.
"I sort of disappeared into myself. Your father was a grown man back then and was handling it all better than I. Your uncle was younger and still in college. I think he needed his mother more than he let on. I tried to be there for him, but time slipped on by. The boys got married, had their families, and life went on. Then after Harvey lost his wife, it was like a wake-up call, and I threw myself into raising the girls. I saw him doing exactly what I did when I lost your grandpa. Harvey was sinking into himself. I tried my best to reach out, but it didn’t work.
We weren't that close anymore.” She blew out a long, shaky breath.
“I'm happy he's rebuilding his life. wish I was a bigger part of it. And I can’t help but think that this is all partly my fault too. Had I been there for him, maybe we wouldn’t have grown so far apart.”
"Gran, all we can do is our best, and you did your very best. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to take this evening to think everything through. And tomorrow, I’ll call him. And then I'll book a flight to London, of course. I want to be there after the birth."
"You’ll what?" I asked, feeling completely blindsided.
"How else am I going to meet my granddaughter?" she asked.
"She can come over here. I really don't think it's a good idea for you to fly across the ocean."
"And why is that, young man?"
If Gran hated one thing, it was to be reminded of her age.
"If they fly here, we can all meet them. And it’ll be safer for you.”
"I know you were close to saying I'm too old but thought better of it."
"I was not going to say that."
When I looked over at her, I noticed that Maxwell grin peeking through.
"You were thinking it."
I didn't say anything. I was glad to see Gran was her old self again.
We arrived at her house a few minutes later. Walking her to the front door, I asked, “Want me to come in for a glass of wine?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave her by herself.
“Thanks for bringing me home, Declan, but I want to be alone with my thoughts tonight.”
“Got it. But you know we’re all here for you, Gran.”
She hugged me then as she usually did, and I kissed her cheek. Once I opened her door, we said our goodbyes.
After she went inside, I headed straight home.
To my astonishment, the lights in the guest house were off.
What the fuck? Liz isn’t home? When she’d mentioned her schedule, I was sure she meant she’d be off work until tomorrow. I'd planned to invite her over for a glass of wine.
Taking out my phone, I messaged her as I went inside the house.
Declan: Tell me you are not at work.
She answered a few minutes later.
Liz: I could, but then I’d be lying.
Declan: I thought you were taking the day off.
Liz: Correction. They sent me home from the catering job because I was slow at dicing. But I’m kicking ass at bartending. And my arm is much better.
Declan: Next time you have dangerous ideas like this, I'll tie you to my bed.
Only after sending it did I realize that I sounded like a goddamned Neanderthal. I didn’t want to scare her away. But when her reply came through, I knew she was up for the challenge.
Liz: Feisty, are we?
She had no idea.