Chapter Seven #2
"Oh thank god. I was starving," Grandmother said, immediately taking a slice and putting a cheesy mixture on it. I did the same.
"Look, I’m just adjusting to this new stage."
"And I think you are doing wonderfully."
"No need to go easy on me, Grandmother. Last night I ended up mixing the formula with too much water. It was a nightmare. I don't know what I'm doing half the time."
"No one does when they become a parent. That's the problem. But you're doing your best, and that's all that matters. Is it just me, or is this spread funny?" she said after a bite.
I was still stuck on what she'd said before. Coming from Grandmother, that was high praise. I took a mouthful. "You’re right. The cheese tastes like it went bad.” But what did I know?
We'd never been fans of hogwash food, as Grandfather called it.
Grandmother always cooked traditional recipes. But I liked to experiment.
The first appetizer came soon enough. “It’s tuna ceviche with lemon.”
Grandmother was looking at it suspiciously. I had a feeling I’d chosen this place completely wrong. The feeling only intensified when the appetizer came, and it was a beef tartare.
“My boy, I can’t stomach this. I’m sorry.”
“No problem.” I waved to the waiter who sprinted toward us.
"We forgot to tell you that my grandmother doesn't eat raw meat."
"Could you bring me something else instead?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.
"Yes, of course. I'll be right back. I’m sorry for not inquiring about this. What do you prefer?"
“No need to apologize. That’s on me,” she said. “Do you have anything with chicken?”
“Yes.”
After he left, she glanced at me again. "Have you had a chance to meet Penny?"
I chuckled. I knew she’d inquire about it.
“Yes. Twice."
"Oh! How come?"
"First time, I ran into her at the grocery store. The second time, she fell down and scraped her knees when her dog pulled at the leash too strongly. I offered to help her."
"Well done. I'm so proud of you. She's a nice girl, isn't she?"
"I'm sure she is, Grandmother. But I don't like where you're going with this." I wasn’t irritated with her, but I knew I had to be firm, or she’d see this as a green light to continue with matchmaking plans.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said quickly just as the waiter came with another plate and put it in front of her. "Oh, a pie. Thank you." After he left, she leaned over the table. "Finally, something I understand."
She winced after the first forkful.
"Definitely doesn't taste like a pie, though. It’s got chicken, but it’s odd."
I broke out in laughter. "Grandmother, how about we just go somewhere else?"
"Yes, please. I know you had the best intentions, but I have a feeling I won't enjoy any of this food. You know what I'm in the mood for? I saw a place that sells burgers the other day that I've been looking forward to trying it out."
"Sure. Let’s go." I'd left my credit card when I made the reservation, so I only needed to tell them to charge it. I didn't have to wait for the bill. Grandmother was clearly eager to get out of here. When we passed the waiter on our way to the entrance, his face fell.
"Grandmother, you go ahead," I said. "I'll be right with you."
I took out a fifty, putting it on his platter. "That's for you."
"I'm so sorry," he said.
"No, it's on us. I chose the wrong restaurant for my grandmother."
"Okay," he said, reluctantly walking away and pocketing the tip money.
Forty minutes later, we arrived at the burger place.
“It’s a drive-through,” she exclaimed. “How wonderful. We don’t even have to get out of the car.”
"Yeah, sounds about right," I said as we stopped by the order window.
"I'll have a burger with bacon and cheese," she told the sales associate.
"I'll have a burger with double cheese," I added.
I moved on to the second window where we got our food in a matter of minutes.
"If the burgers are any good, I'll keep them in mind," I said. "Their service is fast. But we’ll need to stay in the parking lot. This isn't something I can eat while driving."
"Sure," Grandmother said.
The burgers were delicious.
"This is great. You know what? I'll look up the recipe and make some for Abe too, taking out everything he's not allowed to have."
This caught me completely off guard. I had no idea why.
I’d never gotten used to the way my grandparents cared for each other.
My parents’ marriage couldn't have been more different. Even before Dad’s infidelity was revealed, it was obvious to me from a young age that my parents didn't have a happy marriage. They fought constantly.
We finished eating only ten minutes later and then used the wet wipes they'd included to clean our hands.
"This was perfect. I hope you're not mad at your old gran for getting out of that fancy place."
"No, not at all," I said. "What do you want to do now? Agatha is staying for another hour. I can take you out for a drink."
"Nonsense. Just drop me at home so you can spend your evening like a young man should."
"Putting Ben to sleep, you mean?"
"Yes. And after that, maybe see what Penny is up to."
I burst out laughing. "You're relentless. Grandmother. I will only say this once—I'm going through a shit time in my life."
Her face fell. "I'm sorry. But things will improve as Ben gets older and you get into a rhythm. Honey, we’re here to help you in any way we can."
"I’m grateful for that. The whole family has been great, but there's no way I can pull anyone else into this." Who would want to date me right now? I couldn't fathom a woman sticking around when I spent half my free time prepping baby food or changing diapers. And Naomi wasn’t easy to deal with.
"Hear me out. I know you like to give 100 percent to whatever you're doing."
"Yes."
"But that's not possible. It's not how life works. You’ll notice this more and more as you get older."
"What are you saying?" I asked.
"That you should take care of yourself too."
"Really? Is that why you got Penny’s life story in two minutes?"
"Oh, I do that with everyone. I've never been good at small talk. What's there to discuss? The weather? The neighborhood? I get straight to the facts. I can't connect to a person unless I know a bit about them."
"Funny, though, she said you didn't mention that I had a son."
My grandmother smiled widely. "Well, no. I thought that might be an interesting conversation starter for you two once you had your meet-cute."
"A what?" I asked.
"Never mind." She cleared her throat. “Just… don’t forget to live a little.”
"I'll keep that in mind, Grandmother," I said as I gunned the engine on our drive back.
Thirty minutes later, I was home. After giving me the rundown of the day, Agatha left. Scooping Ben out of the bassinet, I took him upstairs to get him ready for bed.
"It's now just you and me, buddy," I told Ben while I gave him a bath.
It was his favorite moment of the day. If I was honest, it was mine too.
He thoroughly relaxed when he was surrounded by warm water.
I'd learned a massage technique from Agatha that Ben liked, and it really calmed him.
After taking him out of the water, I continued the massage along his tummy and back.
He rewarded me with a giggle and what I like to call the Scrunch, which was when he stretched his arms out and then rolled himself into a ball.