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“Oh, don’t mind him,” Viv says, waving a hand. “I’m used to his dramatics.”
“He thinks it’s hilarious to make me uncomfortable,” I mutter, giving Harry a look.
“Nah, I just think you’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Avery starts fussing from her play mat and I scoop her up, relieved to have a buffer.
“I’ll let you guys catch up until dinner gets here,” I say. “We’ll be in Avery’s room.”
“That was a lovely dinner, thank you, dear,” Viv says, getting up to clear the dishes.
“Sit down, Mom, I’ll get it,” Harry says. “I ordered the food from Madeleine, that restaurant with the attached shelter. The people who live there operate the kitchens at Madeleine.”
“Really? It was fantastic. I’ll have to recommend it to my friends who live here.”
Harry clears away the dishes and Viv turns to me. “So where did you grow up, Winter?”
“It was mostly just my mom and I, and we moved around a lot when I was younger. We lived near Phoenix when I was in high school.”
“I’ve always thought that was a nice area.”
“We liked it.” There’s a pause before I dive in with the question I’ve been dying to ask her. “So what was Harry like as a kid?”
Viv laughs. “Oh, he was a handful. Always coming up with new ideas and inventions. But he was so sweet. He’d make me pictures and fluff up my pillow before bed and make me cups of tea. He was a thoughtful boy. But then he’d also come home from school all bruised and bloodied from fighting.”
“You got into fights at school?” I ask, looking over my shoulder at Harry with surprise.
“On the way home from school,” he clarified. “Or at the ice rink.”
“He was always a brawler,” Viv says. “Fearless. It scared me to death, the way he’d take on three boys from an opposing hockey team at once, not caring what happened to him.”
“I always got the better end of ‘em,” Harry says.
“You did, that’s true.” She looks at me. “He always stood up for the other boys on his team. Always. He’s loyal like that.”
“That’s just what you do when you’re on a team, Mom,” Harry says.
“Some of the boys were too scared, but never my Harry. I wasn’t a bit surprised when he retired young to join the military. He has the heart of a warrior.”
“And the shoulder of a senior citizen,” Harry cracks.
“Did you injure it?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He sits back down at the table. “It was already kind of a mess from hockey, and then I fell on it in combat. Doesn’t matter, though, I’m fine.”
His mom seems to sense his desire to change the subject. She looks at me and asks, “Winter, do you have family in the area?”
“No, just a sister in California, Aubrey.”
Viv frowns. “It must’ve been so hard when your friend was sick. I’m so sorry she passed away.”
“Thank you.”
“What was she like?”
I smile. “Mallory? She was happy about ninety-eight percent of the time. Always looking on the bright side. She once broke the heel off an expensive pair of shoes, so she pulled the heel off the other one and said she had been needing a new pair of flats anyway.”
“And did she get some time with Avery before she passed?”
“A little. But she was really sick by then. She was just in love with her, though. And so proud to be her mom.” My eyes fill with tears, and I look away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Harry says, covering one of my hands with his. “I want you to talk about her.”
“It’s hard, though,” Viv says. “I lost my sister to breast cancer when we were both in our twenties. It was devastating.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say. “That’s so young.”
Viv smiles sadly. “She was married with a young son. My brother-in-law moved home to England after she died and I hardly ever saw either of them. I still miss her, to this day.”
Avery squawks to be let out of her bouncy seat, and Viv jumps up from her chair to comply.
“Grandma Viv has a lovely idea, sweet girl,” she says. “How about if I give you your bath tonight?”
“Have at it,” Harry says. “Everything’s in my bathroom. She has a little tub of her own.”
“While we’re at it, I have another great idea,” Viv says.
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to spend this weekend here with my granddaughter while the two of you get away for a bit.”
“Together?” I blurt.
“Why not?” Viv smiles and looks from me to Harry. “You can get separate rooms for all I care. Just get away, catch up on sleep and let me take care of this little princess. I’d really love some time alone with her.”
Get away? Me and Harry, alone for an entire weekend?
“I don’t know…” I say weakly.
“We’ll think about it,” Harry says. “Thanks, Mom.”
