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"Well, fire away," I respond. "Ask me anything you want."
"Well, all right. Say," she goes on, eyes glittering with mischief. "I couldn't help but notice... is that a red bracelet around your wrist?"
Sharply, my eyes find hers. "Indeed it is."
I can't say more than that. Can't risk her asking more questions—but this one alone has me sweating. How could she know the significance of the red ribbon tied around my wrist? Unless... unless she's part of it, too.
"Well, first of all, I think you should call me Ida." She grins before shakily pulling back her sleeve to reveal a green ribbon tied around it. "They make me wear it, even now."
I pale. "You work... for the Lombardis?"
"I did once upon a time." She nods gravely. "I helped with their accounting. I had to serve a sentence when Monroe was a toddler. That's why she was stuck with that awful stepfather of hers."
"I have heard some horrible stuff," I mutter. "I couldn't imagine why she wasn't living with you."
Ida nods. "I only got back a few years ago, and now I live here. And I know how much Monroe is paying for me to stay here, and I feel truly guilty."
I reach for her hand, trembling on the blanket covering her legs. "Don't, Ida. She loves you. And I'm helping her out now. She won't want for anything."
"No, she won't," she says somewhat sharply, sighing before she pulls her hand away from mine with surprising strength. "I tried my whole life to protect Monroe from that family. And now you've walked in, and you work for them, too. How am I supposed to believe Monroe won't be in danger because of you? She's been through so much."
"I would never let her get tangled up with them." I pull back but keep my eyes on Ida's. "Believe me. I'm doing all this to keep her safe."
"All this?" She narrows her eyes at me. "So you don't love her."
"I..."
"Are you marrying her?" she demands.
"Y-Yes, that's what we came to tell you," I manage to get out.
"Then you should love her. And I will not speak to you until you admit it to me." She raises her head high in the air and wheels away from me. I'm left stunned, but I still rush after her, getting in front of her wheelchair and stopping her.
"Ida—"
"Mrs. Smythe," she interrupts.
"No, no, you can't go back on that." I grin, and a reluctant smile pulls on the corner of her lips. "Ida it is. And look. Your granddaughter... she means a lot to me. Which is not an easy thing for me to say. You've seen the ribbon, and you know what it means, don't you?"
"Yes." She nods gravely. "The green one is for people who don't spill blood. The red one is for the ones who do."
"Then you know why mine is red, and what I've done to earn it. And I understand why you're afraid. But Ida, I won't let your granddaughter get caught up in it."
"Seems to me like you already have," she mutters, still not entirely happy with what I'm saying. "It's inevitable. And in this town, it was going to happen sooner rather than later."
"I will keep her safe," I insist. "And... with the way my feelings are developing, I may not be too far off from what you want."
Now, her eyes finally start to sparkle, just as Monroe returns.
"She said she wouldn't steal any more socks," she tells her grandmother with a triumphant smile. "And she said she's very, very sorry."
"Good. Now, when is the happy day?"
"You told her?" Monroe balks at me. "You were... you weren't supposed to do that!"
"I may be too old to be at your wedding, but I'm glad I know about it." The older lady smiles. "I hope you have a beautiful life together, Monroe. I just hope I get to see you still."
Tentatively, they both glance at me as if they know it's my decision and not my fiancée's.
"Of course you will see her," I say firmly. "I'll make sure of it, Ida."
The older woman nods gratefully and kisses Monroe's cheek. "I'll see you again soon then, honey."
"See you soon, Gram." Monroe tightly embraces Ida, and we wave her off as we walk back to the car. She doesn't say a word as we get in and start driving back to my place. I let her process everything that's happened without interrupting. Once she has something to say, I'm sure she'll tell me.
And finally, Monroe turns to me as she says, "Thank you for letting me have that. Even if you didn't mean it when you said I could see her again... it meant a lot."
"Of course you'll see her again." I keep my eyes trained on the road. "I know you think I'm a monster, Monroe, but I will give you what you want sometimes."
