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“Nonsense!” Mom says. “Let’s join them, I haven’t seen Noel in over a month. And you’ve been wanting to see Gram, anyway.” Mom pats Dad’s cheek.

I get Helen’s attention and shrug my shoulders. She doesn’t appear thrilled about these additions to the fantasy convention.

* * *

That evening, I make the drive to Gram’s glamorous townhouse in Alexandria. My parents have never understood why she didn’t move closer to them after Grandpa passed, but I understand. This historical townhouse in the center of the hustle and bustle? It’s her vibe, her life. She wouldn’t be happy in a small town in Maryland, with no art exhibits, no new restaurants to try, no cherry blossoms in the spring.

Me and Gram get each other, we’re kindred spirits. I’ll never move back to Chester Bay either. It’s a beautiful little town, and a great place to raise a family, but I’d slowly shrivel up and die of boredom.

Gram anticipated my arrival as usual, she’s already on her front stoop, dressed as fabulously as I knew she’d be. I pull into the tiny parking spot allotted for her townhouse and step out of my 1957 Chevy Bel Air. At almost twenty-nine years old, most of the girls I grew up with have husband’s and babies… I have Belle. My pride and joy. And with a dad who loves cars, she gets spoiled anytime she needs a tune up.

Stepping out of my car, I smile at Gram. “Hey, gorgeous. Did you have to go all out and make me look like chopped liver?”

She waves me off, but she’s smiling. Her eyes crinkling adorably at the edges. “Oh, stop. I could never compete with a perky, young thing like you!”

Her rosy-pink chiffon gown drapes down to the ground, she doesn’t want to show her feet since she can’t comfortably wear heels anymore. A downside of having eighty-five-year-old feet.

The top of her gown is the same color but adorned with sparkly beads, the sleeves are slightly transparent and end at her elbows. Her white hair, which used to be as blonde as my own, is curled and backcombed to perfection. But that’s nothing new. She did add a lovely gold clip above her right ear though. She’s the epitome of class, as you’d expect from someone who spent half a lifetime as a senator’s wife.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Noel,” she tells me as I walk toward her to help her across the stone path. My deep red gown has a corset top with embroidered, white flowers. The skirt is simple, but it’s a snug fit all the way down to my knees, making it difficult to take quick strides. The gold stilettos aren’t helping either.

I finally reach Gram and hold on to her elbow. She shoos me away. “Stop treating me like an old woman!”

I laugh under my breath and remove my hand, instead walking ahead of her to open my passenger door. Gram slips inside, holding the bottom of her dress and pulling it into the car with her.

Once she’s secure, I move to the opposite side, teetering on my heels. I’m pretty good with heels, but the worn, stone path is making things difficult.

Starting Belle up, we drive across town to the gala. It’s at a five-star hotel downtown D.C., and traffic is going to be atrocious.

When we’re well on our way, Gram breaks the comfortable silence. “So, you wanna tell me why a beautiful, intelligent, sophisticated… single woman such as yourself asked her grandmother to be her date instead of a young, strapping man?”

I sigh. “I knew this was coming.”

“You know, you can have a career you love during the day, and a man to keep you warm at night.”

“Gram,” I warn, but bite my bottom lip, trying not to laugh. “If you must know, there’s a new professor at Arlington University. I’ve been trying to get his attention for weeks, and nothing.”

“An academic type?” she asks, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Yeah, he even wears sweater vests.” I sigh dreamily. “And he always has a book with him.”

“Hmm.”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” she says, shaking her head and burrowing deeper into her seat.

“Just tell me. Your face hides nothing, Gram.”

She laces her fingers together and places them gracefully on her lap. “It’s just that… he sounds boring. And I think you need the opposite of boring, I think you need a pinch more spice.”

I blow out a puff of air defensively. “Spice? My life has oodles and oodles of spice.”

“No, it doesn’t.” She smiles at me. “You need someone adventurous. Someone who pushes you out of your comfort zone. Someone fun.”

Stopping at a red light, I peer over at her, removing one hand from the steering wheel and laying it on top of her hands. “Like Grandpa?”

She looks off into space, she must be remembering their life together. “He was such a good man. I loved that we could laugh and have fun together.”