“Your grandfather had a bit of competition, I’ll admit. I only had eyes for him, however.”
Maddy wondered at the hint of melancholy in her last words. A text buzzed in and she checked the screen. It was Connor—and there was that little flutter in her belly.
How’s it going? Do you need help getting the house ready?
No, it’s under control. Guess what? Gram came home early.?
That’s terrific! Very busy here getting ready for the storm. Chaos!
I’ll bet! Don’t worry about us. We’re on top of things.
I might have to work late. I’ll try and stop over later.
Sounds good.
See you then. XO
Maddy smiled at theXandOas she pocketed her phone. They were headed to Gram’s room next, where they’d stashed the things they thought Gram might like to keep.
“There’s a box of Daddy’s things,” Nora said. “We haven’t gone through it yet.”
“We wanted to wait for you.” Maddy gave Gram a side hug.
“That’s so sweet. Your mother sent me some things after he passed. I don’t know that I ever went through the box. I was too heartbroken at the time. I just stuck it upstairs, out of sight.”
They sat on the bed, and Nora set the cardboard box in the middle. A sense of eagerness filled Maddy. She’d only been a child when her dad passed away. Maybe sorting through his belongings would give her a better sense of who he was.
“How are things going with your mother?” Gram asked. “Do you see her often?”
“Not really,” Maddy said. “She calls now and then, and I see her when she comes to Charlotte, once a year or so. We’ll never be as close as we used to be, I guess.”
“She’s got her own life now in Georgia,” Nora said. “We message on Facebook every now and then.”
Emma pulled the box closer. “Her life seems pretty full, from what I can tell. Her husband has a couple grandkids, and she seems to dote on them.”
“If you ask me,” Gram said, “I think she misses her girls.”
Bless Gram’s heart. She was always playing peacemaker. Maddy wished the role came as naturally to her.
“How can you take up for her, Gram?” Nora said, her voice full of exasperation. “She was awful to Daddy that night. It’s the reason he was so upset. If she hadn’t made him leave...”
“She was going to divorce him,” Emma said. “It was whatshewanted—not him. She told us so herself. Daddy worked so hard so she could stay home with us girls. He was always exhausted, traveling all over the state, trying to provide for us, and she obviously didn’t appreciate it. No wonder his heart gave out—and at only forty-seven!”
“Oh, girls,” Gram said with a heavy sigh.
“I know you just want peace in the family, Gram,” Maddy said gently. “But it’s just not going to work out the way you want it to.”
“I’ve forgiven her,” Nora said. “Isn’t that enough?”
“I have too.” Maddy put a hand over her grandmother’s. “But sometimes, with certain people, you need to set boundaries.”
“Exactly,” Emma said. “A little emotional distance can be healthy. We all still have a relationship with her. We’re just not as close as you might like us to be.”
Gram’s face had fallen, and she suddenly looked every one of her eighty-three years. Maddy felt bad for bringing her down, but she wasn’t going to sugarcoat the truth. Her mom was culpable for their family’s demise. It was the one thing all three sisters agreed on.
Nora reached into the box and pulled out a paperback novel. Michael Crichton’sAirframe. “Look. A page is dog-eared.”
“I guess Daddy never got to finish it.” For some reason that made Maddy’s gut twist. There were so many things their father had never gotten to finish.
