“Okay, just remember, you promised to marry Emma before I die, so keep that in mind tomorrow. You don’t want to go breaking promises to an old lady now, doyou?”
“No, ma’am,” Jackson responds. I can see how nervous he is, and yet, I believe I may be more nervous, but hopeful at the same time. This could give Grams a second chance at life, and while she may be ninety-two, her will to live is stronger than her weakenedheart.
“I have some scheduling to do,” Jackson says. “I’ll be back in a bit to check on you.” Jackson turns to shake Charlie’s hand. “Again, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr.Crane.”
“Well, he’s a keeper,” Charlie says to Grams as Jackson leaves theroom.
“Exactly what I told Miss Emma over here,” Grams says with a raisedbrow.
“Listen to your grandma; she knows what she’s talking about,” Charlie says. I guess he’s got the right to say what he wants. After all, he is my grandpa, and they sure do look goodtogether.
“When do I get to meet my daughters?” Charlie asksGrams.
Grams fidgets with a thread on the bed sheet, appearing lost in thought for amoment.
“Charlie, the girls believe that their father passed away ten years ago. They loved him dearly and mourned the loss of him for a long time after hispassing.”
“You didn’t want to hurt them,” Charlie says, understanding more than I would ever be able to. “You were right to keep this secret, and it would be unfair to disrupt their livesnow.”
“I’m afraid they would never forgive me,” Grams says to Charlie. Charlie and Grams both look over at me. “Emma, this is a big secret. It’s a lot to ask of you to keep it for me. Is it going to be too much for you? Because I would understand if itis.”
“I love Mom and Annie, so, no,” I answer simply. It hurts to know they’ll never know the truth, but I understand that going through half your life and then learning that the one person who always cared for you withheld the truth about who you are, might be too painful to comprehend, no matter the reason. I have to live with this fact, but no one in our family deserves any more pain after the suffering that’s already beendone.
“Thank you,” Grams says. “Youarejust like me, you knowthat?”
I smile, unable to respond with words that will do justice. I don’t think I have done enough to deserve a comparison to her strength and greatness, but the fact that she thinks I do, means everything tome.
“Mom and Annie are supposed to be here in a few minutes,” I tellthem.
“I’m your grandmother’s close friend from before the war. We grew up together, and I happened to see her name on the wall as I was visiting another sick patient,” Charliesays.
“Close friend?” Grams asks him. “That part is the truth. The part where we fell in love and had a daughter together is something we’ll just keep between us,” Grams says as she beams with utterhappiness.
“You’re sure about this surgery tomorrow?” I ask Grams one lasttime.
“Yes, and I need you to back me up with your mother and aunt, allright?”
“I promise,” Iagree.
As expected, Mom and Annie walk in with coffees inhand.
“Good morning, Mom,” Annie says, before noticing a man sitting in the visitor seat. “Oh, who’sthis?”
Charlie is gazing at Annie and Mom. He clears his throat after a long second. “I’m—I’m Charlie,” he says, standing from his chair to offer his hand to each ofthem.
“Charlie,” Mom says as if she’s running the name through her head, trying to place it. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlie.” She reaches over for his hand, looking at him quizzically as if she’s trying to dissect his thoughts. Next, Mom glances at me questioningly, but Ishrug.
“Are you a friend of my mom’s?” Annieasks.
“Indeed. Amelia and I are old, old dear friends. I saw your mother’s name on the wall as I was visiting another patient, and it seemed too good to betrue.”
“Sure does,” Annie says with a bit of apprehension. “Mom has mentioned a ‘Charlie’ several times in the past week. Is this the same Charlie, Mom?” She’s studying Charlie intently but doesn’t haven’t much else to say. Annie has no idea she has met himbefore.
“Yes,” Grams says without elaborating. “What a coincidence, huh? This is Charlie, and he’s right; we go way back. He’s a dear old friend, and I’m glad he found metoday.”
Annie takes a moment to look between Grams and Charlie again, and I can tell she’s more curious than she’s letting on. “Oh, that explains it. She must have seen him walking around the hospital,” Annie says. “Well, it’s so nice to meet you, Charlie. Any friend of Mom’s is a friend of ours, ofcourse.”
Charlie is quieter than he’s been since we picked him up, and I feel a need to leave the room before I give anything away with my facial expressions since Mom knows me too well, but I promised to help Grams with this battle about the surgerytomorrow.
