Page 29 of Harts & Hurts

Tuesday night was an unexpected experience for me. When I arrived at The Hurts’ home, Mr. Hurt met me at the front door with a handshake and ushered me inside. He pointed out the powder bathroom to me and let me handle my business. Once I’d urinated and washed my hands, he led me into his kitchen, where Mrs. Hurt waited, holding a very awake Melrose.

“Hey, Griffin. I’m so glad you made it here safely,” she told me.

Melrose bounced in her arms once she spotted me, and surprisingly, Mrs. Hurt handed her right over. “Hello, Mrs. Hurt.” I took Melrose from her arms and cuddled baby girl close to my chest. I had missed her . . . and Anistyn. Getting the phone call from my mom that Anistyn had packed a bag, taken Melrose, and left my house sent an unexpected wave of panic through my body. Having Melrose in my arms helped to calm some of the anxiety that gripped me. “Thanks for having me.”

She gave me a small smile. “Of course, baby. Mr. Hurt smoked some beef brisket. I put some of that, some dirty rice, and an ear of corn on the cob on a plate for you. It’s in the microwave.” Mrs. Hurt looked up at the ceiling. “Anistyn’s already upstairs. She’d been crying, so she wore herself out and fell asleep about an hour ago. The baby seems fine as far as pain goes. She should be winding down at this point. She’s had a bath and a last dose of fever and pain medication. She hasn’t had her last bottle. I left that for you to give to her. The guest room is at the top of the stairs to your left. Anistyn’s at the top of the stairs and to your right. Good night.”

She reminded me so much of Ashlynn with the way she made me feel so welcome in her home. I was almost positive that my mother would never give Anistyn the same courtesy. I kept my sigh about that to myself. Instead, I crossed the short distance and gave Mrs. Hurt a quick, one-armed hug. “Thank you for your hospitality.” I offered Mr. Hurt my hand for a shake. He shook it. “Thank you.”

“Griffin,” Mrs. Hurt began. “Ever since the day Ashlynn called me to tell me that she and Fisher had eloped, I decided that the feud between the families had gone on long enough. It had moved from being a disconnection between two families to the thing that defined two families. A feud had gotten in the way of me going wedding gown shopping with my daughter. It had gotten in the way of Mr. Hurt getting the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. I decided for myself that day that I wouldn’t allow a disconnection to cause me to miss any other milestones in my children’s lives. On that day, I made the decision that I didn’t care what the rest of the Melrose family did or thought. I would accept Fisher Hart as my son-in-love.” She smiled. “And let me tell you, it wasn’t a hardship at all.”

“Damn sure wasn’t.” Mr. Hurt agreed.

“Fisher was a beautiful man. I know I don’t have to tell you as his brother. He was warm, kind, and loving. He put Ashlynn on a pedestal and treated her like a queen. I really loved him. I don’t imagine that you’re too much different than him. You don’t have to jump through any hoops or try to prove yourself to us. We accept you as family. You’re my grandbaby’s uncle, and by the way she fought to get out of my arms, she loves you. You’ve given my baby daughter a place to live, and from what I understand, you’ve given her a job opportunity. You seem to be a good man, . . . just like your brother. You’re always welcome here.”

A lump formed in my throat that I had to try to push past to speak.

Mr. Hurt gave a small chuckle. “Yeah, youngblood. My wife has the gift of bringing grown men to their knees. She’ll make you shed a few tears if you don’t watch yourself around her.”

I smiled, despite the pain of the lump. “Thank you.”

She placed a quick kiss on my cheek while Mr. Hurt gave me a firm pat on the shoulder. “Sleep well.” They retreated up the stairs.

I warmed up the food in the microwave and ate it with Melrose on my lap as she tried her hardest to stick her fingers in it. I chuckled as I fought with her. When I was done eating, I gave her the last bottle she would get for the day, then took her into the guest bedroom at the top of the stairs on the left. The two of us were passed out before our heads hit the pillow.

The next morning, Anistyn, Melrose, and I were up and ready to get on the road early. Mrs. Hurt fed us breakfast, loved on us, and sent us off with a Tupperware dish filled with Mr. Hurts tender and succulent beef brisket.

Anistyn hit the highway in her own truck. I stayed in Fort Jackson because I wanted to stop by my parents’ house before I headed back to Jackson Island. I needed to let my mother know how I felt about her actions the day before.

My older sister, Mariah, answered the door for me. I was shocked to see her there because she lived in Charleston. “What up, Sis?” I gave her a hug.

“Hey, Bro.”

“What’re you doing here?”

She rolled her eyes. “Your mother called me yesterday evening, all distraught. She said that Anistyn Hurt had yelled at her and cursed her out.”

“Ain’t that a bitch.” I mumbled under my breath.

“I came, but I wanted to get the whole story before I showed up on Jackson Island and beat the brakes off the girl.”

“Yeah, won’t be no beating of the brakes off that one. Your mother earned that curse out. Did she tell you what she did?”

“She said she took Melrose to get pictures made, and Anistyn was in her feelings about it.”

“She did more than just that. Not to mention that she brought Melrose home cranky, crying, and in pain. When Anistyn asked her why she did it, she basically told Anistyn that she’s Melrose’s grandmother, and she’ll do what she pleases. Then she told Anistyn that she’s a guest in the house—in our house—in the house where Anistyn and I live.”

She eyed me with a look I couldn’t decipher.

“What?”

“You said our house, then you reiterated that it’s the house where you and Anistyn live. It’s very much giving something else is going on there.” She lowered her voice. “Don’t tell me we’re about to have another Fisher and Ashlynn story. You like this girl.”

I gave Mariah a blank stare. “Don’t you think we should like each other? I mean, won’t that be best for Melrose? To have co-guardians who like each other?”

“Stop playing with me, Griffey.” She called me by my familial nickname. “You like, like this girl.”

“She gave up everything to honor her sister’s wishes. She gave up her place, her job, her hometown. I feel like nobody sees the sacrifices she made to do right by Melrose. Does that earn my respect? Hell yeah, it does. Because would you have done it? Could you have walked away from everything? I damn sure couldn’t have.