Chandler
CHANDLER
I t’s fucking hot today, and I think about getting back in the car instead of standing outside in the heat. I’ve been waiting for Grandpa and Cheyenne for around 15 minutes now, but the heat is getting to me. When he finally woke up, he was more angry about the fact that he had to stay in the hospital another day than the fact that he had broken his arm. His head injury was minor, thank fucking god. He was stubborn as hell with the Doctor and tried flirting with the nurses when they came to check his vitals. Besides the broken arm, he’s fine.
Cheyenne comes out of the hospital, pushing a very disgruntled-looking Gramps in a wheelchair. When they reach the car, I go to help him up, but he bats me away.
“Oh, get a grip!” He gripes. “I broke my arm, not my damn legs. The hospital wouldn’t let me leave without the damn thing. I can stand on my own!”
I roll my eyes. “Good to know you’re feeling better, Gramps.”
He grunts in response, and I open the door to Cheyenne's minivan, letting him get in on his own. “It’s hot as hell, and I want a damn burger! I’ve had enough of this hospital crap. I’m a man. Men don’t eat banana pudding and green beans!”
“Okay, Gramps," I say and shut the door. Cheyenne sighs and runs a hand through her hair.
“He’s pretty irritable," she says.
“You think?”
“And obviously, he wants a burger, but he also said he wants to stop by the house.”
My eyebrows tick up in surprise. “He does?”
“Yeah,” Cheyenne says, wringing her hands. “I told him what you and Sam did. He wants to see it for himself.”
I blow out a breath. Great. Based on his mood, I can already tell this may not go well. “Okay. Burger, then the house. Got it.”
I stop at a drive-thru for burgers and apologize to the employee when Gramps asks if they sell beer. He’s even more bold than he was before he went into the hospital. We all eat while I drive the long stretch of road toward the house. I’m nervous about his reaction. He'll either be elated or utterly pissed. Based on his current mood, I’m leaning toward the latter. “How are you feeling, Gramps?” I ask.
“I just want to make sure you two didn’t screw anything up!” I sigh. So, still in a bad mood. “You two better not have ruined my good chair!”
That chair was almost disintegrated before Sam brought it back to life. The entire house was a complete disaster, and I don’t think I could have gotten everything done if it wasn’t for Sam’s help. My chest aches when I think of her. I wish she were here. Part of me regrets not taking her up on her offer to stay. But this is a family matter, and I didn’t want her mixed up in it.
When we finally get to the house, I get out of the car and open the sliding door for Gramps. He steps out of the minivan and looks up at the house. He scoffs. “It looks exactly the same!”
“We did the inside, Gramps," I say, shaking my head. “Do you need help up the stairs?”
He doesn’t say anything, only grunts and shakes his head. Cheyenne and I follow him up the porch steps, watching him carefully with every step. I open the door, and we follow him into the living room. He stops abruptly, a loud gasp escaping. I hold my breath, waiting for him to say something. When I look at him, he’s completely speechless, and so is my sister. My throat tightens as I wait for his reaction.
“So, what do you think, Gramps?”
He looks around the space, and then he does something he hasn’t done since I've been back in town. He smiles. And it’s something I’d almost forgotten since it’d been so long since I’d seen it. My heart is pounding as I wait for him to say something, and after a moment, I ask again, “What do you think?”
Then he does something I haven’t seen him do since my grandmother died. He begins to cry, takes a fistful of my shirt with his right hand, and lets out a shaky breath. I hug him tightly, being mindful of his arm, and he hugs me back. We haven’t hugged since the day I left North Carolina for Florida. It feels good to hug my grandfather, but his tears make my own eyes water. I manage to hold them back, and when we pull away, he smiles at me.
“Thank you, my boy. Your Grandmother would absolutely love this.”
“I think she would too, Gramps," I say, and I show him and Cheyenne the kitchen. I look at Cheyenne, and she’s wiping away her own tears. I frown. “Cheyenne?”
“It’s been a long time since the kitchen has looked this good," she says. “, you and Sam did such a great job. Thank you so much. ”
“You and Sam did this?”
I nod, and we go back into the living room. He sits in his newly cleaned chair, looking around the space. I take a seat on the couch. I don’t know if now is a good time to bring up the possibility of me buying the house or not, but I’m worried I won’t get another chance.
“So, Gramps," I start, but he cuts me off.
“Did I ever tell you how I met your grandmother?”
I pause, uncomfortable. He doesn’t bring her up much, at least not in depth. Little things, like how proud she would be when I graduated. How much she would love Derrick if she met him. How she would be so happy for Cheyenne when she got married. But he never talks about stories with her. Not since she died.
“Didn’t you guys meet in high school or something?”
He laughs and shakes his head.
“We met at a rollerskating rink in 1958, and when I first saw her, I knew she was the one," he says, smiling to himself as if he’s there now. Then he looks at me pointedly. “I made an ass for myself. She told me to go to hell, and we'd argue every time we were in the same room. Then, one night, I was taking her back home, and the truck broke down on the side of the road in the middle of the damn night. We were stuck in the rain in my old truck and had no choice but to spend the night together.”
“What happened after that?” I ask.
“I talked to her, I got to know her, and from then on, I knew I wanted to spend every day with her. I fell in love, came to my senses, and married her. We bought this place when we were 19 years old. I wasn’t sure about it when we first saw it, but I knew it had potential. I knew I wanted a life with your grandmother, and I knew this place would be a happy home.” He’s never told this story in so much detail before. His eyes light up when he speaks about my grandmother. They really were in love. I remember growing up and hearing them laughing together, watching them dance together in the living room, and cooking together. Everything seemed so effortless. I didn’t put too much thought into it as a kid but as an adult? Now I realize my grandparents were truly soulmates.
“You were right," I say.
“Yes," he says. “Yes, I was.” He seems to be lost in thought and lets out a thoughtful sigh. “Listen, Channie. I loved your grandmother, and we both did what we could to raise you and your sister right. This house meant a lot to your grandmother, and so it meant a lot to me. I can’t sell it to some schmuck.” He looks at me. “I want to give you the house, Channie. You’re my grandson, and the work you and your girl put into this place shows me how much it means to you, too.”
What? He’s giving me the house?
“Gramps…” I start, but he cuts me off again.
“I know things weren’t easy for you growing up. Your grandmother and I tried our damnedest, but once she was gone, I didn’t know what to do with myself.” He looks away for a moment and then back at me. “I love you, Channie, and I’m proud of you. Whatever you do with it is your business, but I’m giving it to you because I know how much you loved this place, and I know you’ll take care of it.” He leans towards me, giving me a stern look. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Wow, Gramps. I don’t know what to say.”
“How about a damn, thank you?”
I stand from the couch, and he stands from his chair, and I pull him into a quick hug. “Thank you, Grandpa.”
“I know you like your life in Florida, but this place will always be home. You’ll have to come more often to take care of the place.”
“Of course,” I say .
I’ve already made my decision. I know that it’s best if I stay in North Carolina. I miss my family, and now he’s giving me the house.
“I’ll be moving back, Gramps. I’ll send an email to my boss today.”
He nods and places a hand on my shoulder as we make our way out of the house, and my grandpa takes one last look inside and says, "This place will serve you and your girlfriend well.”
My heart drops in my stomach at the mention of Sam. How the hell am I going to tell Sam?