“Eggs?”
“Scrambled soft with American cheese.”
Years had passed, but Wes still knew me better than anyone. Despite what I’d told him. “Thank you.”
Grandma was sitting at her kitchen table when I got to her house. She glanced up at me. “Hey, Pooh.”
I joined her, taking the seat next to her. “Hi.”
She eyed me curiously. “What’s up?”
Meeting her waiting gaze, I asked, “You tell me, Ms. Tea.” Silence.
It wasn’t like Grandma to hold her tongue. She’d once told me, “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” She’d also said, “If you’re brave enough to do dirt, stand in it.”
Sighing, I continued. “I guess I’m just confused because I don’t understand why you would do this.”
Grandma twiddled her thumbs. “It started as a joke,” she explained. “At poker night, we would talk about the latest reality show drama. One of the ladies follows a few people on YouTube who spent their days yapping about people we didn’t know. Then, we realizedweknew a lot of people. So, we created the page and put out our first post.”
“I …” I shifted to face her. “Let me just start by saying I don’t think it’s wrong that you’re doing this. Many people make their living through social media. But you don’t need the money.”
“We donate it,” she said. “All the money goes to nonprofit organizations in Detroit. Last month, it went to Crossroads of Michigan. This month, it’s going to Detroit Impact.”
“That’s good.”
“Pooh, we’re old. We’ve lived our lives and sowed into our families. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of the bed in the morning. Body stiff, pain in areas that you don’t even want to know. A lot of us are lonely. Ms. Tea, as problematic as it was, sort of gave us purpose.”
I placed my palm atop hers. “I understand that.”
“I’m not an emotional person, but I’ve spent so many years angry. I wasted time allowing hatred to harden my heart. I can barely stand my own son. But you”—she cupped my cheek in her palm—“you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You brought new life into this house when you moved in with me. I don’t want you to hurt. I just want you to be happy and healthy. I want you to know love and feel it. I realized that I haven’t been a good example in that aspect, so when the ladies mentioned playing matchmaker for their grandchildren, I jumped on board. Ms. Tea gave me the perfect opportunity.”
“Wes?”
The truth was right in front of my face the whole time.
The job offer.
Granny Joyce not accepting my resignation.
The apartment in Batchelor Place.
All of it was designed to bring us together, to force us into the same room. “Why not just tell me?” I asked.
“You are my granddaughter. I know you, and you wouldn’t have been receptive. You and Wes had to come to this conclusion on your own.”
Grandma was right. The forced proximity to Wes had cracked the door open. Our strong connection did the rest of the work. It made sense. I still didn’t like it, but I couldn’t be angry with her because I was on the cusp of something amazing with him.
“Pooh”—she squeezed my hand, placed a soft kiss to my palm—“I am sorry.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. Grandma never apologized, not even when she was wrong as hell. “Why?”
“I knew why Wes left.” A tear fell from her own eyes. Jarring, because she also never cried. “I couldn’t tell you because of the danger surrounding the family at the time. I watched you sink further into that depression, and I knew how it felt because I’d been there. But my job was to protect you, even if that meant letting you suffer that heartbreak.”
Back then, Grandma had simply told me that life happens. Yes, she was there for me. Yes, she’d hugged me while I cried my eyes out. But she’d never indicated that there was more going on. In hindsight, I couldn’t blame her. If I’d known the truth, I wouldn’t have stopped until I found him. I would’ve chased him to Wellspring, potentially causing more trouble. For myself and for Wes’s family.
“We knew that Wes would make the first move.”
I smirked. “He did.”
