“Hey, party people!” Janae and Adam turned around at the sound of Michael’s voice in the kitchen.
“Look who I found.”
Michael stepped aside, holding the door open as Dorothy-Mae and Grady Henderson walked through the kitchen door.
“Hey, y’all.” Michael deepened his tone, using what Adam called his sheriff’s voice. “Let’s give them some privacy.”
Her girls and Derrick followed Michael through the back door and out onto the deck, leaving Janae and Adam standing in the room with his parents.
Dorothy-Mae looked her usual kind self with the subtle elegance of a woman who was benefiting from the wisdom of her age. There was no worry, just a calm certainty that she was who and where she was supposed to be.
Grady was looking better than the last time she’d seen him in his hospital room. She hadn’t seen him since she’d read him for filth as hetried to berate Adam from his hospital bed. Janae was a compassionate person who also happened to have a petty streak that stretched longer than Main Street. Sue her, God wasn’t done with her yet.
“Mom, Dad, I’m glad you came.”
His mother opened her arms and like the good son he was, Adam walked into them, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.
His greeting to his father was a lot cooler when he extended his hand, giving it a strong shake. Adam loved his dad, and Janae would never begrudge him that love. But Adam also loved her, and he told his father until he’d apologized to Janae for his ugly words, Adam would only be around to help them out when needed.
She hadn’t asked that of him. She also hadn’t encouraged it. As a parent, she would hope if there came a time where she and her son didn’t see eye to eye, his partner would encourage him to mend the rift.
While she had no intention of being around Grady, she always let Adam know that she wanted him to mend things with his dad.
“Come here, Janae, and let me hug your neck.”
Janae shooed Adam out of the way and eagerly wrapped her arms around Dorothy-Mae. Janae’s relationship with her own mother might still be a work in progress, but the wonderful grand dame in her arms dulled that ache just a little.
Dorothy-Mae pulled back and gifted her with a wide smile. “You take such good care of my baby. Thank you for that.” She spun her finger around in the air. “Thank you for all this. It’s so sweet you’d get everyone together to celebrate him.”
“Mrs. Henderson, it’s my absolute pleasure.” Janae instantly went into hostess mode. “You want me to fix you a plate? There should be some ribs coming off the grill any minute.”
The elder woman waved Janae away. “I’ll find my way out there. Are your mama and your daddy here? I can catch up with them for a few moments. I believe Grady has something he’d like to say to the two of you. Don’t you, Grady?”
Shockingly, when Janae took in Grady’s face, she found contrition resting in the lines around his eyes and mouth. She looked at Adam to reassure her of what she thought she saw. The acknowledgment in his eyes grounded her and she regarded Grady once again.
“Yes, ma’am. Mama and Daddy are in the backyard too.” Dorothy-Mae nodded and found her way to the back door. As soon as the back door clicked closed, Grady stepped toward them.
“I’m not gonna prolong this, Janae. I owe you the biggest apology. You went out of your way to help me on more than one occasion when it came to my health, and I turned around and gave you my behind to kiss. Wasn’t right. I don’t have an excuse either. Point-blank, you deserved better.”
“Mr. Henderson, thank you for that apology.”
She wasn’t sure what else to say. His eyes seemed sincere and from his awkward tapping of his cane by his foot, she could tell he was really trying to right the wrong.
“Spending these last months only getting to watch my son’s life from the sidelines, it brought a lot of things to bear.”
His shoulders drooped, making him look both smaller and older than he was.
“Dad, you need to sit down? Your leg okay?”
“Son, I only ever wanted you to have a life I could never give you. I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you weren’t enough. You were… you are more than enough, and I hope you can forgive me for the harm I caused to you and your young lady.”
And there it was, that crotchety old man had found the way to forgiveness in Janae’s heart when she looked over at Adam and saw his Adam’s apple bobbing like he had something lodged in his throat he was desperately trying to move.
Grady might’ve pissed her off that night, but the lingering hurt that remained was all for the way he’d wounded Adam.
“Dad, of all the things I expected today, you apologizing wasn’t on the list.”
“Son, hearing from your mama how you’ve grown, all that you’ve accomplished, it made me realize I was missing out on your happiness, and I didn’t want to do that anymore. It was bad enough when you were all the way in New York. Having you home and still not being part of your life, it’s tearing me up something terrible. I’m ashamed of the way I treated you both, and even if you don’t want me around after today, I knew I owed you both an apology in person.”
