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I knew that name. He had married my Mom’s first cousin Nina. “Nina’s husband?” I covered my mouth with my hand trying to hide my reaction.
She nodded. “Nina and Will went to the same college. Nina and I were best friends until then. I don’t go to any family events that she and Will go to. I was crushed until I met your dad.”
“But a part of you still thinks about him at least,” I said without thinking.
Mom leaned her head back against the pane of glass. Her eyes closed. Our hands were still clasped, and our fingers laced together.
I stared at our hands wound tightly together and wondered what we would have been, me and Tyson if not for that break-up. “I don’t know that I still think of him or even what they did to me.”
She stopped talking like she was thinking about that time. I wanted to ask what they did. Mom opened her eyes and glanced at me. It was like she could read the question running through my head.
“We all came home at Christmas break. We had been gone for four months,” she explained. “Something was wrong. Will and I had been communicating through email. Occasional phone calls but those were expensive, so we had to keep that to a minimum.”
I began to put two and two together. “Nina and Will’s son Max is twenty-four,” I said.
She nodded. “There was a party on campus that they both went to. They had too much to drink and Nina woke up in Will’s bed. When they came home at Thanksgiving, they knew she was pregnant, but I couldn’t come home. I had finals in two weeks. I was swamped. I told Will I loved him, but I would have to see him on Christmas break.”
“Wow, what happened?”
She smiled at me. “I came home, found out they were getting married and living with Aunt Bet and Uncle Charlie. Will was finishing school and working part time at the Auto Zone. Nina had Max. I went back to my school numb.” She chuckled. “Lucky for me I met your dad within three months of that otherwise I don’t know what I would have become. I was drinking a lot at college parties. I slept with a few guys but that didn’t ease the hurt at all.”
I peeked at Gram to see what she was thinking about this conversation and as I thought, nothing bothered Grandma. She took it all in stride.
“Then your Dad asked me out on a date.”
“The rest is history. You fell madly in love,” I declared.
Mom burst out laughing. Grandma snorted at her.
“Hardly Abby. I liked him but he was focused on studies. It took me going out with another guy or two, or three or four before he realized if he didn’t put as much time into our relationship as he did his degree, he was going to lose me.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” Dad said. We didn’t realize he was standing in the doorway listening. “Why are you ladies talking about our ancient history?”
“Reminiscing Tyson,” Mom informed him.
He shook his head. “I’m heading to bed. Just wanted to say goodnight.”
“I’ll be there soon.” My mother smiled at him before he said, “Goodnight,” then Dad closed the door behind him.
“I do love him,” she said with a smile on her face. “But Abby I admit that since you said what you did at the grocery store, being content doesn’t feel like enough.”
I didn’t know what to say to Mom. I hadn’t meant to rock the boat or upset the apple cart as Grandpa used to say to us. She leaned over and kissed my cheek then told me goodnight. She hopped up then hugged my grandmother.
“I love you Mom,” she said holding her tight.
“I love you too, Kat.”
We watched Mom walk out of the bedroom then I glanced down to the end of the window seat at my grandmother. “Is Mom okay?”
“She is,” Gram replied. “She wants a close relationship with you like she and I had. She’s not sure how to get that. I told her to relax and it would happen.”
“The one that you and I have always had.”
“That’s right Abby. The one that you and I have always had. Honey, I know it hasn’t been easy these last few years with Tyson in the limelight. His name in the papers and interviewing on television. I saw your mom and dad getting caught up in all his glory…” Gram hesitated. I looked away. She scooted down beside me and laid her hand on her my bent knee. “Abby look at me.”
I turned my gaze towards my Gram. “No matter what you were thinking Abigail they still loved you madly.”
I felt the tears rolling down my face.
