But I wasn’t in the car.
When the police arrived at G-Bets door, she stood there with her spine straight and tears streaming down her cheeks. While I had been expecting my parents to come home from their date and take me home, she was finding out that her daughter was dead along with her son-in-law and I now needed a forever home.
This woman, my amazing grandmother, didn’t flinch. She didn’t hesitate. She simply made her home into mine and has done her best to help me keep pieces of my parents alive.
Losing them and seeing the pity on the faces of everyone around me is what drove me to be better, to do better, to achieve more. What I couldn’t have known while I was running from my demons, and pretending it was drive, was that my parents would never know about my accomplishments and those looks of pity would follow me for the rest of my life.
I’ve become immune to them now, or maybe I’ve simply accepted them.
No matter what, the woman in my arms, the same woman who has perfected the guilt-trip, is the only reason I have the life I do now.
When I let go of her, G-Bets looks at me with disdain tempered by pure love and pride.
Still, she’s here for a reason and I’m fairly sure I know what that reason is.
“Rhodes Wilder,” she starts, her tone filled with pure disappointment, “I should not have to come all the way down here just so I can see you, while you’re working, since you haven’t been returning my calls and certainly haven’t stopped by. Why do you think our weekly family dinner is simply a suggestion now? If you think the badge clipped to your belt means I don’t expect you at my table on time, then you’re sorely mistaken.”
The look on her face is serious, and I should be scared. But considering the number of times she threatened to grab a switch without any follow-through, some of the scary shine has dulled.
Oh, when I was growing up, I was terrified. Which is part of the reason none of my shenanigans was ever that serious or that dangerous. I knew G-Bets would kick my ass.
And not just my ass either.
She would have gladly kicked the ass of my friends or anyone else who led me astray. But she would, ultimately, hold me accountable. I’dbe first on her chopping block and I never once thought it would be any different.
“I’ve just been busy, G-Bets,” I tell her honestly, my voice softening as I speak to her.
Because this woman deserves to be wrapped up in golden thread and protected so I don’t lose her as well.
Her eyes soften as she looks at me before she pats my cheek affectionately. Not at all like she’s tempted to slap me. Nope, not at all.
Okay, maybe a little bit.
The glint of mischievousness in her eyes isn’t helping either.
“If you are too busy to see your precious grandmother then you need to examine your work-life balance,” she huffs.
“My work-life balance?” I can’t help but question her while looking at her like I’ve never seen her before.
“Yes, I hear it’s the way to live nowadays,” her voice is innocent as she bats her eyelashes at me and I can’t help but smile at the woman while allowing some of the tension I’ve been carrying to roll off my shoulders. And that I haven’t just been frustrated with this case. Again.
No, not talking or seeing Helen has done a number on me. And the only person I have to blame is myself.
“What have you been doing in Dogwood Ridge?”
Her question or change of direction shouldn’t surprise me, but it does and my mouth drops open for a moment before I snap it shut. The look she’s giving me says more than any words ever could.
“At first it was just about the case,” I tell her honestly.
“The people who are animal abusers and deserve to be in the deepest pit of hell?”
I blink at my grandmother, who would skin you alive if you ever called her grandma, because her viciousness is only slightly surprising. Honestly, that’s kind of tame for her.
She only condemned them to eternal damnation. I’m sure she could do much worse if pushed to it without a second thought.
“And?” She wavs her hand in a ‘more’ motion while she glares at me like she’s daring me to waste more of her time. But I’m not stupid.
“And I met a woman. We aren’t anything official yet, but I know I want her, and I’ve never felt like this around a woman before,” the words rush past my lips.
