My grandmother didn’t miss a beat. Her arms opened and like I’d done a million times before, I sank into the safety they offered. “Oh, baby girl,” she whispered against the top of my head, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ve missed you something fierce.”
“I’ve missed you too, Granny,” I managed around the lump in my throat. “So, so much.”
The creaking of the screen door being opened had me lifting my head. And there he was. The best man I’d ever known. My papaw Pete was standing in the doorway, and even at 78, he was still larger than life. Six foot three, and built like a tank. His long gray beard was still perfectly braided.
“Hi, Papaw,” I whispered, meeting his bright blue eyes that were swimming with unshed tears as he looked at me.
“There’s my girl,” he croaked.
Without fear that he wouldn’t catch me, I launched myself at him next, breathing in the scent of cigarette smoke and motor oil that was all him.
“Damn, baby girl. You’re nothing but skin and bones,” he said, holding me at arm’s length to get a good look at me. “Jean, we need to fatten this one up.”
My granny laughed. “If I’d known she was coming, I’d have put the dog on.”
I laughed. It’d been so long since I’d heard someone use that expression. “You never have to go all out for me. Gran.”
She waved my comment off. “I’ll whip us up some bacon and eggs, and some of that sausage gravy you used to love.”
That sounded perfect.
That was when the car doors slammed behind me.
“Who’s your friend, lil’ bit?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Sondra trying to take everything in as she struggled with our bags. She probably felt like she was in the twilight zone. We were definitely not in the big city anymore.
“Granny, Papaw,” I said, turning in my papaw’s arms. “This is my assistant, Sondra. Sondra, meet the two most important people in my world.”
Abandoning our luggage, Sondra climbed the steps and stuck her tattooed hand out to my grandmother. “It’s so good to meet you.”
My grandmother’s eyes dropped to Sondra’s outstretched hand. Then her brow went up in that ‘aren’t you just the cutest thing’ way she always did, and I couldn’t hold back the giggle.
“You’re in the real south, sweetheart.” Then my granny wrapped Sondra up in a big hug that no doubt squeezed all the air out of her lungs.
Sondra’s eyes shot to mine over Granny’s shoulders as she awkwardly patted my granny’s back.
“Get used to it.” I mouthed.
If it were possible, her eyes got even bigger.
See. Adorable.
When Granny finally released Sondra it was Papaw’s turn to step forward, and that’s when I thought her eyes might pop out of her head.
Not that I could blame her. My papaw was a force of nature. He didn’t look anything like your typical grandfather. See, he was big. As in REAL big, and he wore a leather Kings of Anarchy cut over his broad shoulders. Then there were all the colorful tattoos decorating almost every inch of his body. He had this don’t-fuck-with-me aura about him that tended to make folks keep a wide berth.
“Uh. Hi!” she squeaked.
Granny and I both looked at each other and burst out laughing. “He’s a big old teddy bear,” I confessed. At least he was with those of us who were lucky enough to have his love.
Sondra looked at me like she thought I was crazy. But then papaw smiled at her, and his whole face transformed. “Welcome to our home, darlin’,” he said, taking her bag from her. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“Uh... always,” Sondra stuttered out.
“Come on,” Granny said, holding open the screen door.
Feeling at home for the first time in years, I wrapped my arm around Sondra’s shoulders and followed my Granny inside the house.
