Chapter 21
The storm had left a lot of damage and the snowplows were doing their best, but it was going to take time to get through the worst of it. Chay felt a twinge of anxiety thinking about Gracie and Ava at home by themselves, wishing he was with them. That was new.
As he did routine safety checks on the elderly and people with disabilities, he sat in the feelings. Let them surround him, realizing that his world had grown by two. It was nice. He had food and blankets and medical supplies. All of the officers had made it in, and they had divided up the town and were taking quadrants to inspect.
He’d gotten the one where his grandmother was; they all had people they wanted to check in on. All of the vehicles at the tribal police office were fitted with snowplows, so they were able to get into places that the town’s plows hadn’t reached yet. He cleared his grandmother’s street and then started at the end to help shovel out a path from the doorway of each house to their vehicle.
Grandmother was happy to see him. She looked tired but well.
“How was it?” she asked him. Her friend who lived next door was getting her stuff together so that Chay could get her back to her home.
“Not too bad. We lost power about midnight, I’d guess. You?”
“Same. I told Fiona that you had a generator set up for me. We fiddled with it, but decided the fire and candles were enoughfor us at first. Then it got really cold, so we went out there to try again,” she said.
Chay wished he’d been with his grandmother. “Next time you both come and stay with me. I have plenty of space. Did you get it working?”
“I did. I even made sure to ventilate. Just a bit—the snow is coming in the garage when I went to outside to check on it,” she warned him. “Not much.”
“I’ll take care of it after I get Fiona home,” he said, hugging his grandmother tightly. She always seemed so indomitable, but she was getting older and would need more help from him. Something he knew he had to factor into raising Gracie. If he decided to apply to be her adoptive father, he needed to be aware that his grandmother was going to need more time as well.
Could he handle raising a child and caring for an elderly relative? He knew that was a question that many dealt with. He thought he’d be able to handle it. Especially with Ava by his side. But he had to be sure on his own. Life didn’t come with guarantees. Plus, he liked contingencies, where he knew he’d be okay without anyone else.
“I’m ready. I’m leaving my loom for now,” Fiona said.
“I’ll bring it over once we get you settled. Grandmother, you wait inside.”
Aponi gave him the side-eye. “Like I was going to wait out here.”
He ignored her sass, offering Fiona his arm. He’d already shoveled out her house. He took her bag from her, putting it over his shoulder as he walked at her pace back to her home. Fiona’s house was cold, but Chay got her heat working and made sure the appliances were all good as well. Then made two more trips, bringing her lap loom and some food that his grandmother wanted Fiona to have.
He worked at his grandmother’s house getting the snow out of the garage and making sure the generator was turned off properly and stowed away.
“Were you alone during the blizzard?” she asked while they sat at her table with a cup of coffee.
“You know I wasn’t,” he said. She was fishing for information, and while he had no issues telling her about himself and Ava, the fact that she was being cagey made him want to do the same.
“You’re hardheaded.”
“So are you. We were good. Gracie dealt with it pretty well,” he said. Then realized he wanted to talk about the baby. Ask the questions he had been trying to answer on his own. “Grandmother, I’m thinking about filing to adopt her. I know I’m probably the last man you’d expect to do that.”
“You’re not. I’ve seen the way you are with her. You love her. What did Ava say?” Grandmother asked.
“She’s the one pushing for it. I haven’t told her yet. I don’t want to make a mistake that will affect Gracie. She’s already had so much tragedy in her short life. We don’t know who her father is, and the way her mom was found dead—that’s going to impact her.” Chay stated all of his fears. Wanted to make sure that his grandma knew he wasn’t taking this decision lightly.
“Sounds like you’d be the best man to be her father. You understand that situation better than most. And I’ll be here to help you, as will Ava, I’m sure,” Grandmother said.
“Yeah, she will be, but that’s complicated, too. I really like her. But will I crack under all this? It’s a baby, a girlfriend, commitment…”
“I bet you get even stronger, Chay. I’ve never met another person who handles adversity like you do. You get stronger, quieter sometimes, but always stronger. Those two will be lucky to have you and me if you decide to adopt. But I think you already know that. Why are you asking me about this?”
“Never hurts to get a second opinion from one of the wisest women I know,” Chay admitted.
“I thought I was the wisest,” she said smartly, but her smile beamed at him.
“Well…there is Ava. She’s pretty smart—in a different way than you. She’s pushy like you as well.”
“That’s why I like her,” Grandmother said.
