“Hi, Mr. Whitman.” Her voice is steady. “I’m so glad to meet you. Thank you for having me.”
“Please—call me Everett,” he says, shaking her hand.
Grandma Nancy appears with a dish towel over her shoulder and studies Lola sharply. She has opinions about everything, and I should’ve warned Lola that my grandma would probably voice some of those opinions with her today.
“This is Grandma Nancy. Grandma, this is Lola.”
“Hello, Lola. You’re a very pretty girl,” Grandma Nancy says finally. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Lola freezes, bracing herself.
“If I remember correctly, you’re the one who got my grandson into tattoos.”
Lola laughs nervously. “Oh, yes. I’m guilty of that, I’m afraid.”
“Well, I don’t know how anyone chooses what they wanton their skin for the rest of their life, but to each their own,” Grandma Nancy says.
“Uncle Tully!” Grayson wraps his arms around my waist and looks up at me with Noah’s eyes and his mom’s freckles.
I love that he has the absolute fearless confidence of a four-year-old who has never once doubted that he is welcome anywhere.
“Is this Lola?” he asks.
I lift him as I hug him. “That’s her,” I say, smiling at Lola. “That’s Lola.”
“You gotta meet everyone. There’s lots of us,” he tells her.
Lola smiles at him. “I’m excited to meet all of you.”
“Hey, Lola.” Noah comes up behind Grayson and offers his hand. “Good to finally put a face to the name.”
“I’m Camden, and this is my fiancée, Juliana, otherwise known as Juju,” he says.
“Hey, it’s great to meet you,” Juju says.
“Great to meet you,” Lola responds.
“We won’t make you remember all our names,” Dylan says, his smile wide.
“Dylan, right?” she says.
He lifts his brows. “That’s right. And this is my fiancée, Dahlia.” He looks around. “And Chloe.” He points out the little girl twirling around the dining room.
“Hi, Lola,” Dahlia says. “Chloe, say hi to Lola.”
Chloe turns and waves. “Hi, Lola.”
“I think I’m a little starstruck,” Lola says. “Finally meeting the Whitmans.”
Everyone laughs.
“We’ve been dying to meet you.” Goldie’s got her arm around my waist, waiting her turn. “I’m Goldie.” She moves toward Lola. “Are you a hugger?”
“Yes.” Lola and Goldie smile at each other and then hug, and I think my life might finally be complete.
Grandma Donna arrives from the kitchen with her reading glasses pushed up on her head, and she takes one look at Lola and says, “Oh, she’s lovely, Tully,” like Lola can’t hear her, and I say, “I think so too.”
Lola laughs as she turns to face her. “You must be Grandma Donna.”
