And then she dances off toward her office, and I’m left wondering who in the world she saw at the nursing home.
It’s close to lunch before I see Wes. He looks really cute today in his jeans and Greenhouse Nursery T-shirt. He leans against the counter while Charlie drops down on the stool next me. Charlie’s covered in potting soil.
“Did you have an accident?” I ask.
He brushes off the loose dirt. “Let’s just say I went two rounds with a sago palm and the palm won.”
Wes laughs. “I didn’t think it was possible for someone to get into a fight with a potted plant, but Charlie proved me wrong.”
“That plant weighed about forty pounds! And I didn’t see that last step,” Charlie says.
Olivia drops her phone inside her purse and says, “Well, boys, y’all can have it. We’re out of here.”
Charlie jumps up. “What? How’d you get the rest of the day off?”
Picking up my bag off the floor, I say, “We’re taking Nonna for hair and nails.”
“Totally unfair. I would be willing to run Nonna around all day.”
Olivia and Charlie bicker all the way to the front of the store about who is the favorite and why, but I hang back to talk to Wes.
“Any chance you were at Garden Park Nursing Home this morning?” I ask.
I can tell the answer by his expression before he even says it.
“No. Why?”
I shake my head, hoping my disappointment doesn’t show. “No reason. Never mind.”
Olivia yells from the front door. “Help me get Nonna in the car! She’s saying she doesn’t want to go.”
“I’ll see you later,” I say to Wes, then hurry outside to help Olivia. We all but bully Nonna to get in Olivia’s car.
“It’s ridiculous to spend the entire day at the beauty shop,” Nonna says once she’s finally in the passenger seat. “I should be at the club helping them set up for tonight.”
Her party is being held in one of the banquet rooms at Eastridge Country Club. Nonna wanted to keep it small, but even just our family is a crowd, so we needed the space.
“Mom and all the aunts are taking care of it,” Olivia says. “They want to surprise you.”
Nonna lets out apfffsound but finally stops complaining.
“Has Papa told you who he’s setting me up with yet?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “No, and I’ve been after him all morning about it. I mean, who does he know that isn’t related to you?”
I let out a sharp laugh. “I can ask you the same thing about my New Year’s Eve date!”
She glances back at me and winks. “That date will be the best one. You just wait!”
I don’t even try to hide the groan.
My phone dings and a smile bursts across my face when I see Margot’s name. Four pictures of Anna appear one right after the other. I pass the phone to Nonna so she can see her. It’s pretty awful to see that big tube going into her little mouth, and she’s still sedated, but she’s a healthy rosy color. I’m taking that as a good sign.
Nonna passes the phone back to me. “Won’t be long before she’s as fat and happy as the rest of y’all were.”
“I hope so.”
MARGOT:The doctors are going to start weaning!! Her oxygen saturations levels are looking good. Fingers crossed!!
