After her parents went inside and Cooper dashed off, Jewel stepped back to admire Honeymoon Cottage. The covered front deck, recently painted with slip-proof deck paint, now looked inviting with its pair of matching Adirondack rockers and several overflowing flowerpots that Mom had planted and set into place. Mom had also filled the flower boxes with geraniums, alyssum, and ivy. It all looked so sweet and inviting that Jewel was pleased with the results.
Because she was familiar with Dad’s mood swings, she understood how quickly he could change his mind about something. But if he didn’t make this transition, she felt certain that she and Cooper could be quite comfortable there. With a whole lot less work than the big plans she had for transforming the farmhouse into a functioning B&B. Yet her mother was so thrilled about her new little house that Jewel hoped and prayed it would all work out. As she walked back to the farmhouse, she wondered what it would feel like to have the whole thing for just her and Cooper.
“Do you think Grandpa will make it there for a whole night?” Cooper asked as Jewel came up the porch steps. “What if he comes back here in the middle of the night? Where will he sleep?”
“Your grandma plans to give him one of hisrelaxpills.”
Cooper laughed. “That sounds dumb. Why not just say Xanax?”
“I know. But that’s what your grandma calls them. For Grandpa’s sake.” Jewel remained on the front porch, leaning on therailing as she gazed out toward the new house and admired how charming it looked from here in the dusky light. Such a great transformation. “I sure hope he makes it through the night,” she said quietly.
“Well, Anna and I worked hard on their bedroom.” Cooper leaned against the railing too. “We took pictures of how everything was set up in their old bedroom. We tried to make their new bedroom look the same. Even the pictures on the wall. But I wonder if Grandpa will even notice.”
“Well, it can’t hurt. Thanks so much for your help.”
“It was kinda fun.”
Jewel gave Cooper a sideways hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Coop.” With her arm still around her daughter, they went into the house.
“Mom?” Cooper closed the front door. “I keep meaning to tell you something.”
“What’s that?” Jewel turned with concern. Was something wrong?
“It’s just that, well, I’m really glad we moved up here.”
“Oh, Coop.” Jewel hugged her. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“It just feels right.”
She hugged her daughter more tightly. “It does to me too.”
“I mean, I know it’s not perfect and we’ll probably still get into some fights.” Cooper stepped back with a sheepish smile. “But mostly I think it’s a good thing.”
Jewel nodded. “Me too. Mostly.”
“I wish Grandpa would get well.”
Jewel felt close to tears now. “Yeah. Me too.”
“But even if he doesn’t ... I’m glad we’re here.”
Jewel nodded. She was blinking back grateful tears, and no more words were exchanged. A good thing since Jewel was pretty sure she’d fall completely apart. But they understood each other. She knew that.
To Jewel’s relief, her father didn’t come storming into the farmhouse in the middle of the night. That was something. And the next morning, after giving her parents plenty of time to getup, Jewel knocked cautiously on the front door. Her mother opened it with a big smile.
“Does this mean you’re doing okay?” Jewel asked quietly.
Mom pointed to where Dad was sitting in his recliner, eating a banana and watchingTrue Grit. “So far, so good,” she whispered.
Jewel sighed. “And you both slept okay?”
“No problems.” Honey nodded toward her old house. “Maybe even better than over there.”
“Do you miss it, Mom?”
She glanced at her husband, then pursed her lips. “I suppose I miss it about as much as I miss everything else nowadays ... but I’ll get used to it.”
Jewel nodded somberly.
