Danny looks devastated, but he doesn’t let go of my hand.
“Okay, Gracie girl, maybe later. I love you.”
For years, Danny has told me he loves me. And gazing into his eyes, I wonder if it’s finally starting to mean something different for him, like it does for me.
“I love you, too.”
Chapter 29
Grace
“So, that’s how I fell in love with Roger,” Janie finishes telling me about her long-term boyfriend. We’re on the loveseat in the family room, enjoying the pear vanilla tea she brewed. The cinnamon rolls, which are baking away in the oven, perfume the entire area with a sweet and spicy aroma. I wish I could bottle the scent.
“Wow, that’s amazing, Janie. I’m really happy for you. Finding love again, a son in the league, and a budding fashion designer daughter. You really crushed it at the whole parenting thing, huh?”
Janie laughs warmly. “I don’t know about all that, sweetie. My amazing kiddos, including you, kind of came out that way all on their own.”
I sigh. Janie is serotonin for the soul; life is just richer with her around. “Thank you for saying that, it means a lot to me.”
“It’s the truth. Even though we haven’t seen each other in forever, you’ve always been one of mine. I look forward to our phone call on your birthday every single year. Now that you’re back from Indiana, I’d love to see you more. I know your animal clinic is downtown, but maybe you can swing by the suburbs sometime to meet Roger. He’s heard a lot about you.”
I start nodding before I realize I never told Janie that I opened my clinic in Columbus. “Have you been keeping in touch with Mae? I thought when we moved out of the neighborhood you two lost touch.”
Janie’s eyes twinkle. “Was it the mention of the animal clinic that gave me away? Sweetie, she was my next door neighbor for over five years! I couldn’t keep away once she moved.”
“Well, I’m glad to know you kept her company when I moved out of state. I always felt guilty that I didn’t go somewhere closer.”
She puts her hand on my lower arm and gives a comforting squeeze. “Oh, she was thrilled when you got into that vet school in Indiana. She was pushing so hard for you to live a little bit of life outside of Ohio.”
“I wonder why she never mentioned you,” I say absentmindedly, then realize how rude that sounds. Before I can explain, Janie cuts in.
“She never mentioned it to you for the same reason I never mentioned it to my son. You two weren’t ready to hear that we remained friends. We laughed over how stressed both of you would be if you found out that we saw each other every Tuesday night.”
“Tuesday nights! What the hell? She told me not to call Tuesdays because she had water aerobics class!”
Janie cocks an eyebrow and takes a sip of tea. “And you believed her?”
I giggle, and Janie does, too. Yeah, that one’s on me.
“After Mae moved to Ohio, she became one of my closest friends and confidants. We used to sit in the kitchen and gossip about you and Daniel. The two of you sneaking out at night was one of our favorites. Neither of you were as slick as you thought.”
My face heats. “But you, um, never said anything.”
“Of course we never said anything! We knew there was no stopping the two of you, even when you were ten years old. Might as well lean into the swerve, right?” Janie chuckles.
“Right.” I awkwardly clear my throat, tapping my fingers on the side of my mug. “And does Danny know that you, um, knew about us sneaking around?”
Janie smiles. “We’ve never spoken about it, but he must have suspected it. There’s only so many times you can climb down a drainpipe without ripping your pants. I had to patch up his favorites from time to time.”
I laugh, imagining Danny’s state when he reached my lawn. “Point taken.”
Janie sets her teacup down on the dark wood coffee table. I do the same as she turns to face me. She gently takes my hands in hers and says, “I know about the letter, kiddo.”
A combination of panic and sadness courses through me. I blink away tears and respond with a simple, “Oh.”
Janie’s expression echoes my own sadness, her eyes downcast. She heaves a sigh. “I’m assuming you haven’t given it to him yet. I’m not here to tell you what to do, but I want to encourage you to give it to him sooner rather than later.”
I shift nervously, clasping her hands a little tighter. “I know. It’s just so hard. And…I’m still processing.”
