I hope we didn’t overwhelm you. We can be a bit much.
Ava
No. You were all great.
The ribbing Ollie had given them sprang to mind. Zach’s family was amazing.
Dani
If you ever come back here, let me know. We can grab a coffee.
Ava
Thanks. Will do.
She put her phone back on the floor and laid her arm over her eyes.
Her phone buzzed again. And kept buzzing. A call this time. Her grandma’s face popped up. Ava had used a photo of her from her eightieth birthday. A sparkly pink crown on her head as she held up a cake nearly on fire from all the candles.
“Hi, kiddo.” Her grandma sounded strong. “Are we still on for lunch today?”
Ava sat up straight. “Lunch?” She put her grandma on speaker and opened her calendar app. “I don’t have you in my calendar.”
“Hmm, that’s weird. Maybe I forgot to ask you. I wanted to be sure to get together to hear all about your trip.”
“At least I know where I get my absentmindedness from.” Ava smiled. This old joke had run for as long as she’d lived with her grandma.
“I hope you’re up for lunch, because I’m downstairs.”
Ava laughed. “I guess I don’t have much choice. I’ll buzz you in.”
A few minutes later, she gave her grandma a hug and let her into the apartment.
“Ava, it’s a really nice day today. Let’s get some of these windows opened. This place needs some fresh air.” Her grandma’s mauve pantsuit and Vera Wang printed scarf tied at her neck contrasted with the drab furniture she walked past. She opened the drapes and tugged open the window.
“You’re not going to get much breeze through there,” Ava said. “The building next to mine blocks the wind and sun.”
“It’s better than nothing.” Her grandma dusted her hands together. “Shall we order some lunch to be sent up?”
“Angelino’s?” The Italian restaurant on the corner was a favorite of theirs.
“Perfect.”
Thirty minutes later, the scent of tomatoes and garlic filled her kitchen. She dished them both a plate of the fragrant tortellini.
“Now, tell me everything.” Her grandma pulled her plate closer and took a bite. “I bet nothing on that island compared to Angelino’s.”
The malfatti she and Zach had made was definitely better. “I had some amazing food over there. No need to be a snob about the island.” Her tone was sharper than she meant it.
“I’m sorry,” Grandma said. “I’m just loving this tortellini.”
“No, I’m sorry. It’s just that the whole thing ended so terribly, I’m a little sensitive, that’s all.” Ava outlined some of the highs and lows for her grandma, including the beginning and awful end of her relationship with Zach.
“Mm-hmm. So, you had some amazing food, found a place you could call home, and fell in love with a boy, is that it?” Her grandma raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like quite a trip.”
“It isn’t love.” Her heart tightened. “It couldn’t be.”
Her grandma took a drink of water. “I fell in love with your grandfather in one night. He showed up at the dance hall where I was working. Only took one night to convince me he would be the man I would marry.”
