Smile. “No, I’m not looking for a man. I enjoy what I do.”
Her mother’s answer was a frown. Well, it looked like she was trying to frown. Actually, everyone at the table was frowning now. They couldn’t understand why she wanted to work since none of them had ever worked a day in their lives. Personally, she thought they were rather spoiled and she was wondering why she came here in the first place. Then she remembered. She came here for Grandma. She couldn’t leave Grandma to these vultures and it didn’t hurt that Grandma threatened to take her over her knee and spank her if she didn’t come.
“Sweetheart!” her father said, smiling hugely as he leaned over and kissed her on both cheeks. Smile. “Happy birthday, sweetheart. I’m sorry it’s a couple of weeks late,” he said sheepishly.
“Thank you, Dad,” she said, taking the birthday card. Smile. Her birthday had been five months ago. Yes, her entire family had forgotten, well, except Grandma, of course. She’d called at five in the morning, waking Haley up on her birthday, demanding that Haley knock some sense into her parents. Haley calmed her down and thanked her for the gift she’d sent the day before. The next day, she’d visited Grandma and took her out for lunch. Her old nannies sent her birthday cards and gifts as well. Her friends had made her a birthday dinner and they’d gone out to celebrate.
“I can’t believe my little baby is twenty-five already!” he said.
“I know.” She couldn’t believe it either since she was twenty-seven, but hey, if he wanted to make her younger, who was she to argue?
“She’s twenty-seven, you fool!” Grandma said. “She turned twenty-seven in December. How I raised fools is beyond me,” Grandma grumbled.
Smile. “Thanks, Dad. It’s fine.”
His smile wavered, and for the first time in her life, he truly looked ashamed.
“I’m going to call you later this week,” he said firmly.
“Dad, it’s okay,” she said, letting him off the hook.
“No, it’s not,” he said before he forced the fake smile to return and turned around to respond to someone calling his name.
“Honestly, Haley. There’s no need to create such drama over nonsense,” her mother said, shaking her head in disgust. Everyone sent her mother pitying looks and eye rolls at Haley as if it was her fault for simply existing.
Smile. “Sorry, if you’ll excuse me,” Haley said, taking her card with her and shoved it in her purse. She walked over and sat down next to her grandmother.
“I don’t know why you put up with them,” Grandma said on a huff.
“It’s fine.”
“The hell it is!”
For the first time since she’d arrived, Haley felt her lips pull up into a real smile.
“Deborah, what are we having today?” Grandma demanded of Haley’s mother, her least favorite daughter-in-law.
Her mother smiled. Well, tried to smile. “We’re having salmon with broiled spinach leaves, a nonfat mock potato salad, and some nonfat sugarless flourless soy French delicacies that are simply to die for.”
Grandma’s eyes narrowed dangerously as her hand went for the cane, forcing Haley to discreetly wrestle it away from her.
“Hey, that’s mine!” Grandma snapped as Haley put the cane next to her chair and out of Grandma’s reach. Grumbling, she rubbed the back of her hand. Damn, Grandma had a firm grip.
“Behave,” Haley hissed, making Grandma smile. Out of all the children and grandchildren, Haley was the only one who treated Grandma like the devious pain in the butt that she was and not an unwanted responsibility they got stuck with.
Grandma turned her attention back to Deborah. “I want a burger, a hot dog, and some real potato salad.”
“Mother dearest, we simply don’t have that here!” Haley’s mother said as if the very idea of having such basic food items in her house was unheard of.
Grandma glared at her for a moment longer before returning her attention to Haley. “You?”
“Me, what?”
“You have those things in your house, don’t you?”
Haley nodded. In fact, her freezer and pantry were filled to the brim with staples for barbecues since she loved barbecue food. It probably had something to do with Grandma raising her.
“Good,” Grandma said firmly as she gestured to Chris, her helper. He’d just turned fifty, but he still worked hard to take care of Grandma. “Let’s go, Chris.”
