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An hour or so later, we are in the car and on our way to see Shane’s grandparents. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. What if they hate me? They are the only family that Shane has, and I’m pretty sure he would take their opinion into account.
Scenarios began to flash through my mind about how awful this could potentially go. What if they don’t like that I’m not Susie-Homemaker? What if they think my lack of future plans means I’m not good enough for their grandson? What if they blame me for all my daddy’s terrible mistakes around this town?
Just the thought of my dad makes me a little uneasy, hence why I always just avoid thinking about him altogether.
Reaching over to take my hand, Shane asks, “What’s on your mind? That big beautiful brain of yours looks deep in thought.”
I consider lying but ultimately decide not to. After all, I want him to be honest with me when I ask him that same thing. “Just thinking about my daddy and how I hope your grandparents aren’t some of the many people in this town that hold a grudge against my family because of him.”
He looks over at me as though my answer shocked him. “Oh,” he replies.
I’ve never thought much about dating guys from my own town. I’ve always thought it would be easier to venture out of Grady, so my past family drama wouldn’t follow me, but there’s something oddly comforting about Shane already knowing the story, so I don’t have to rehash it again.
He already knows about my father’s battle with his drug and alcohol addiction. And how my dad would disappear for months on end and show up with a handful of nice promises that he would soon break all over again. He hustled and stole from multiple people around town, which made us the talk of Grady. And people talked even more when my daddy showed back up with cancer begging my momma for help, so she took care of him until he died.
I’m incredibly thankful I don’t have to explain all of that. Typically when I date, I just tell them my father is dead and leave it at that. I’ve never cared enough about anyone I’ve been with to let them in on all of our family’s dirty little secrets.
Maybe I should feel embarrassed or ashamed that Shane already knows all of this. After all, the whole story doesn’t paint our family in a great light. But for whatever reason, Shane knowing all of this puts me at ease.
That’s even more true when he reaches over and takes my hand in his and says, “Hey, your daddy’s mistakes are not your mistakes. And I can tell you right now that my grandparents nor I blame you for anything that happened back then. It’s all in the past.”
And you know what? I actually believe him.
“Calm down,” he continues. “They’re going to love you.”
That part I’m still not so sure about, but I try to calm my nerves all the same. I look out at the window and see that we are heading into the heart of town rather than in the direction of his house.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“I figured we’d pick up some food to take. The second Grandma sees you, she’s going to try to feed you, so to prevent her from spending all day in front of the stove, I figured we’d grab a bucket of chicken.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“I’d just rather everyone be able to relax during this visit, and I know she won’t if she’s cooking all day.”
I nod and let out a tiny laugh.
He looks over at me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
I say, “It wouldn’t matter if I took a full ten-course meal to my momma’s; she would still insist on cooking. She would argue that her food is better than anything we could pick up.”
He laughs. “Oh, I do not doubt that. I’m sure my grandma’s would be better too. And back in the day, she would’ve acted the same way, but now that she’s getting older, I think she appreciates a little bit of a break.”
“That’s fair. My momma is so dang stubborn I”m pretty sure she’ll still be cooking when she’s a hundred.”
“Well, at least we know where you get it from,” he teases.
I’d argue with him, but he’s not wrong. Sometimes, I’m more like her than I care to admit. And as much as I hate the opposite side of that coin, I’m also a little like my father. That addictive personality runs within my veins. That’s why I never opted for any pain meds stronger than ibuprofen after any of my injuries. And it’s why I always watch how much I drink at parties. It’s all a slippery slope that I don’t want to get caught sliding down. Jessie already went down that road and had a hard time finding his way back.
Trying to clear my mind of all that negativity, I take a deep breath and try to relax. I don’t know why all these thoughts are pouring in today of all days.
Thankfully, it’s a quick trip to pick up the chicken and then get to Shane’s. Another perk to small towns is that you can get from one side to the other in a flash.
We pull up out front of the cute brick house, and I notice the large front porch with a couple of rocking chairs. The apple tree in the yard has grown since the last time I saw it. The house looks the same as I remember, except it appears to have had some upgrades. I’m sure Shane has done a lot of work on it.
He puts the truck in park and shuts it off before coming to help me out. I have my crutches since I didn’t want to hop around the whole time awkwardly.
We make our way inside, and Shane helps me up the steps to the back porch before holding open the door for me.
