by Debbie White
“Grandmother! Auntie! So nice to see you both,” Mary said, opening her arms.
Grandmother leaned in, brushing her lips across her cheek. Patty hugged her tightly, kissing her on the mouth. “Hey, Sis,” Mary said.
Annie flopped up her hand. “Hey.”
“You look good,” she said.
“I do not. You don’t have to sugarcoat it, Sis. I look frumpy and fat.”
“No, you do not. Besides. You just gave birth.”
“Whatever,” Annie said, waving her off. We’re here to see your color palate for the refresh.”
“Yes. I can’t wait to see what you’ve chosen,” Grandmother sneered.
The four of them sauntered into the living room. Grandmother gasped. “My wallpaper. What have you done?”
Annie’s gaze flew up to the wall.
“I took down some of the paper so we can see how the paint will look,” Mary said.
Grandmother ran her hand along the wall. “This wallpaper was very expensive. I had it special ordered. From Europe.”
Annie could hear the hurt in her grandmother’s voice.
“I asked Annie what she thought about me tearing it down.”
“I never said you should tear it down. I told you to discuss it with them first. Show us your ideas. That’s what I said. If you heard something else, Mary, then that’s on you.”
The two-foot by six-foot section, now minus wallpaper, had several brushstrokes of varying paint colors.
Patty, who had been quiet up to that moment, stepped forward. “This is pretty,” she said, admiring the eggplant color.
“No! That’s awful,” Grandmother said, spewing spittle as she spoke, clearly agitated with Mary.
“Maybe this color would be nice,” Annie said, pointing to the celery sample.
Grandmother grunted.
“That’s nice too,” Patty said.
“You can never just leave well enough alone, can you Mary McPherson.” Grandmother tapped her cane a few times then moved away from the wall, looking around the room. “What happened to the chintz upholstered chairs?” She raised her brows to match her elevated tone.
“Those old things? I donated them.” Mary, sounding pleased by her generosity, soon was lambasted by Grandmother.
“Donated? You donated the chairs that had been in this room for over fifty years?”
“Mary! Why didn’t you just recover them if you hated the pattern so much? You had no right to just give away Grandmother’s and Auntie’s furnishings.” Annie crossed her arms and stared at her sister.
“You said this was Danny’s and mine. We could make it comfortable. That’s what we are doing. Now you’re taking it all back. That’s it. I didn’t want to live in the old drafty house anyway. I did it for you.” She whirled around and rushed toward the kitchen.
“Just a minute, young lady. You do not talk to me in that rash tone. Get your butt back out here,” Grandmother demanded.
Annie’s gaze bounced back and forth between them. She’d not seen her this angry since Annie and Mary drew lipstick patterns on one of the bedroom walls when they were kids. Or when they made mud pies and brought them inside. Or the time they captured some lizards and wanted to share them. She tried to hide the giggle that was building. This was beyond comical.
“Okay, folks. Let’s all simmer down,” Annie said, trying to play referee. “Grandmother, maybe you should be more specific in what you mean regarding this being their home and to make it comfortable.”
“Well, I sure as heck didn’t mean tear down wallpaper and give away chairs that cost me a fortune.” She harrumphed.
“What is done is done, Sister,” Patty said, finally finding her voice through the commotion.
Grandmother gave her a sideways glance. Clearing her throat, she began. “I would rather you see your time here at the house as more of a tenant and landlord relationship. You’d never just start pulling down wallpaper and painting walls without the landlord’s permission.”
“That’s fine. Consider this our thirty-day notice, then.” Mary crossed her arms at her chest and while leering at Grandmother.
“Fine,” Grandmother stated.
“Good,” Mary said.
“Ladies,” Patty interjected. “Is this what you want? Family to get all riled up over some paint and some ugly wallpaper.”
“Ugly! Well I never,” Grandmother said, sticking her cane out at Patty and shaking it. “You always liked our décor here.”
“It was always your home, Lilly. I just moved in. I’d never tell you how to furnish it, let alone decorate it. But I never loved those monkeys either.” She nodded toward the wall.
“If I let you take the paper down and paint, what else are you going to do? You’ve already given away priceless furniture. I think maybe it is best if you and Danny moved out, and Patty and I move back in.”
Patty covered her mouth.
“That’s not going to happen, Grandmother. You’re too frail. I need to have you closer,” Annie said.
“Frail? I’ll have you know I am not frail. I may be getting up in years, but that’s just a number. My mind is fully functional, and I am insulted you feel we can’t live alone.”
Annie tossed her hands up in the air and stomped her feet. “We are not having this discussion. You and Auntie are living in the cottage, and Mary and Danny are living here. Paint the walls striped. I don’t care. Now, come on. I have a baby to attend to.” Annie cradled Grandmother’s elbow and led her out of the living room. Auntie followed behind. Grandmother kept stopping and looking back toward Mary and mouthing out demands and insults.
“You better not paint the walls striped. Leave the paper alone. I’m going to take an inventory of the furniture, young lady,” she yelled out.
Annie ushered them outside and drew in a deep breath. She counted to ten before speaking. “Mary is your granddaughter. You just talked to her like she was some nobody standing on the corner. You’ve hurt her, I’m sure.”
“Hurt her? She’s hurt me.” Grandmother pouted.
“I get it. This was your home for a good many years. And before that, it belonged to your parents. If you don’t want her to make any changes, then she has to be able to move out. And if she moves out, what are we going to do with an empty house?”
“Take me home,” Grandmother said, shaking loose Annie’s grip.
The ride home was excruciating. Every time Annie thought about saying something, she quickly changed her mind. She had four people, if you counted Danny, all disappointed in the day’s events. When she pulled up to the cottage, she barely got the car in gear, and Grandmother hopped out. Frowning, Annie turned off the engine and stepped outside the car. “Are you going to pout like a baby or are we going to talk about this like adults?”
Grandmother and Auntie held hands as they ascended the steps. Once they got onto the porch, Patty fetched her key from her purse and unlocked the door. Helping her sister inside, she gave Annie a back-handed wave. “Bye, Annie,” she said.
“Auntie Patty. Please talk to her.”
“I hear you,” Grandmother called out.
“Glad to hear that,” Annie yelled back.
As Patty shut the door, she blew Annie a kiss. Shaking her head and grunting, she dropped into the driver’s seat and drove around to the garages. Jack would be there, and he would solve all the problems of the world. Or at least with Grandmother and Mary.
She bolted through the back door and came into the house via the back porch. She traveled down the long hall. The noise coming from the other room had her picking up the pace. Widening her eyes, she watched as Ashton bounced on the couch cushions with his shoes on, dropping to his bottom and then jumping down, running to Isla and pulling her tail. Jack was in the kitchen with a towel draped over his shoulder, warming up a bottle and Carolina in his arms, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Jack,” she called.
He turned around, his face void of color except for two round red patches on his
cheeks. Yellow gooey stuff soiled his shirt. He had something on his neck she didn’t even want to know what it was, and when he came close enough to her, she wrinkled her nose.
“Let me have her.” Annie held out her arms.
He gently rolled Carolina into her arms and took the towel away from his neck. “I’m exhausted.”
She unbuttoned her blouse and sat while nursing Carolina. “Ashton Robert Powell. Stop jumping on the couch and stop teasing the dogs right this minute.”
Ashton bounced one last time to his bottom and crossed his arms. “I’m hungry.”
“Let me finish feeding your sister, and I’ll fix you something.”
“I don’t know why he’s hungry. He had a cookie, a bowl of chips, and a popsicle.”
Annie tilted her head. “Sugar and carbs. Great. Okay, why don’t you go take a shower. I’ll put something together for us. I have a serious issue to discuss with you. I need your level head in this matter. I’m about to lose it with Grandmother.”
After Annie got the household settled, she made dinner. Nothing fancy, but edible. Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup always worked in a pinch. She sliced an apple for them to share.
Now that Jack had showered, he smelled so much better. Annie wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “I’m sorry you had such a hard time today. I didn’t mean to be gone so long.”
“No problem. I don’t know how you do it.”
She cocked her head.
“Take care of the kids, the house, and me.”
“It’s going to be a new thing now that we have two children. Some things aren’t going to get done. Dinner might be late, the house might not be as clean, I might be tired—a lot, but we’ll manage.” She dropped a quick kiss on his nose.
“When do you think I should go back to work? The orders are piling up.”
“Tomorrow,” she said.
“Seriously?” She flashed a smile.
“Yes. But not before you solve this crisis.”
“Let me tuck Ashton in, and I’ll be right back. I do my best world solving with a glass of wine.” He winked.
“I’ll pour it and be waiting.”
“So, let me get this straight. Mary wants to redo the old house, and Grandmother is not having it and has threatened to move back in. Where will Mary and Danny go? The cottage?”
“We didn’t get that far. I can’t let Grandmother and Auntie move back there. I’d be worried about them all the time.”
“Well, to be fair, they did pretty good. Especially when we had caregivers Charles and Betsy there.” Jack twirled his wine before sipping it.
“I know. All their friends are there, their social circles. But we’re so far away if they need us.”
“Let’s see if we can find someone to move into the upstairs apartment,” Jack said.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I guess if I had to be completely honest, I’m not supervising them very well. Grandmother isn’t eating properly; they sneak out and Uber into town. Living downtown couldn’t be much worse, I suppose,” she said, trailing off. “I’ll discuss it with Grandmother in the morning.”
“What you should do is give them an ultimatum. They only get to move back with full-time caregivers.”
“Caregivers! They’d never go for that,” Annie said.
“Call it whatever you want, but that’s what they’ll be,” Jack said, nudging her shoulders gently.
Chapter 4
Annie was happy that Grandmother and Auntie accepted her invitation to afternoon tea. She dusted the china teacups, tossed on a nice tablecloth, and put a vase of freshly cut roses on the table. Unfortunately, they would have store-bought cookies, but they loved shortbread, so they’d do in a pinch.
Carolina was sleeping soundly in the cradle Jack made. Ashton was sitting quietly coloring. Annie gave Jack time off and encouraged him to go outside and tinker. He didn’t have to be told twice. He grabbed his hat, sunglasses, and a thermos and told her he’d be down at the dock, or in the garage.
Leaning in, he gave her a quick kiss. “Good luck.”
“Thanks. They will be here any minute.”
He held up his phone and flipped it around. “Call me if you need reinforcement.”
The door pushed open and in stepped Grandmother and Auntie.
“Hello, Jack. Are you joining us today for tea?” Patty smiled.
“As much as I’d love to, I need to attend to a few things. You ladies have a great time.” He bowed then exited swiftly.
“He’s such a charming man. I only wished I’d have found him when I was searching for someone for you.” Grandmother tiptoed over to the cradle and peered in. “So beautiful,” she whispered.
Patty joined her. “A sleeping beauty,” she said, nodding.
Grandmother gingerly stepped away from the cradle and, using her cane, moved to a chair.
Annie noticed the soft roundness of her shoulders, her less than perfectly straight posture. She sighed.
“China? Now, I’m impressed.”
Annie pushed the platter with the shortbread cookies into the center of the table. “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to bake. I hope these will suffice.”
Grandmother’s shoulders swayed.
“They’re fine, Annie,” Patty said, frowning toward Lilly.
“I suppose they are.”
“Coming from the woman who eats boxed store-bought donuts,” Annie sneered.
“Touché, Annie,” Patty said.
“I learned from the best. Isn’t that right, Grandmother?” Annie sat down.
Grandmother began to reach for the china-glazed teapot.
“Here, let me get that for you,” Annie said, leaping up and leaning in.
“Annie. I’m quite capable of pouring my own tea.”
“Of course, you are,” she whispered, folding down to her chair like a shrinking violet.
“I’ve had time to think about the Mary situation,” Grandmother said.
Annie paused, taking a bite of the cookie. “Oh?”
“Yes. We definitely want to move back into the house. But not before we can hire another person or couple to move upstairs. We discussed it, and you’re right. We should have someone nearby. Mary can’t be depended upon. She’s such a scatter head.”
Annie bit down on the cookie, crumbs scattering down her blouse. She then drew the cup to her mouth and washed it down.
“I suppose I’ll reach out to the company who does this sort of thing and set up some interviews. I imagine you two will want to be in on those.” She quirked her brow.
“Of course,” Grandmother said, dipping the end of her shortbread into her tea and then quickly devouring it. “These are my favorite store-bought shortbread. They taste homemade.” She smiled as she reached for another.
“Ahem. Grandmother. Sugar.”
“I took my medication this morning. Can’t I just have two?” she whined. “I’m eighty years old. I won’t be around forever. Can’t I just enjoy some pleasures in life?”
“Don’t talk like that, Lilly,” Patty said.
“It’s true, Sister. Why be so restrictive with food and all of that when our time on earth is winding down.”
“I just want you to be the healthiest you can be.” Annie softened her stance.
“Let Mary know of our decision, won’t you?” Grandmother said, sliding her chair back.
“I will. And I’ll get right on it regarding caregivers.”
“Caregivers!” Grandmother shouted, nearly waking up Carolina.
“Well, not caregivers exactly,” Annie said, trying to take it back. “Live-in help?” she said, scrambling for words.
“You can call it what you want, but Patty and I see it as more of a joint arrangement. There will be times when we need them, but hopefully, it will be far and few. Knowing someone is near is all we want.” She stood.
“Grandmother, I’m feeling guilty because I can’t be the one for you. I was so hoping the cottage would work out for you both. I know yo
u feel isolated, but we are trying to include you in our lives, and we do understand your need for independence.” Annie lowered her gaze to the table.
“I love the cottage,” Patty said. “I love being out in the country and near the water. It’s lovely.”
“You do?” Annie said.
Patty nodded. “The big house in Charleston is drafty. And it does flood downtown, making it a mess to get around. And Mary is right. The wallpaper is creepy.”
Grandmother gasped. “Patty Bolander!”
“It’s true, Lilly. I feel quite content here. I don’t want to move again.”
“But when we discussed it last night—”
“You did all the talking. I just listened.”
Grandmother hung her head and tapped her cane twice. “I suppose this new revelation changes things.”
Annie’s gaze flipped from Patty to Lilly.
“We’ll put the property up for sale,” Grandmother said.
“I’m not suggesting that, Grandmother.”
“I know. But it’s the only thing left to do. It’s starting to deteriorate. We don’t have the time or the energy to take that on. Mary was just trying to do us a favor. It’s not fair to straddle her with such an obligation.”
Annie widened her eyes. “Take some time to think it over. We don’t have to rush.”
“Yes, Lilly. Sleep on it.” Patty touched her sister’s arm.
“I’ll ask Mary to stay on until you’ve made a decision. We wouldn’t want the house with all of your stuff sitting unoccupied,” Annie said.
Grandmother shook her head. “So much to do. That house holds a lot of memories and things. The cottage will not hold another item.”
“But you can take all the memories with you,” Annie said. “The other stuff. It’s just stuff.” She slipped her arm around Grandmother’s shoulders. “You have pictures to look at too. And if not, we’ll make sure we take them so you’ll have them to look back on.”
Grandmother looked up. A tear bobbled on her lower lid. “Thank you, Annie. You’ve been wonderful. Both you and Jack have done so much for Lilly and me.”