AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I'll have a burger with bacon and cheese," she told the sales associate.
"I'll have a burger with double cheese," I added.
I moved on to the second window where we got our food in a matter of minutes.
"If the burgers are any good, I'll keep them in mind," I said. "Their service is fast. But we’ll need to stay in the parking lot. This isn't something I can eat while driving."
"Sure," Grandmother said.
The burgers were delicious.
"This is great. You know what? I'll look up the recipe and make some for Abe too, taking out everything he's not allowed to have."
This caught me completely off guard. I had no idea why. I’d never gotten used to the way my grandparents cared for each other. My parents’ marriage couldn't have been more different. Even before Dad’s infidelity was revealed, it was obvious to me from a young age that my parents didn't have a happy marriage. They fought constantly.
We finished eating only ten minutes later and then used the wet wipes they'd included to clean our hands.
"This was perfect. I hope you're not mad at your old gran for getting out of that fancy place."
"No, not at all," I said. "What do you want to do now? Agatha is staying for another hour. I can take you out for a drink."
"Nonsense. Just drop me at home so you can spend your evening like a young man should."
"Putting Ben to sleep, you mean?"
"Yes. And after that, maybe see what Penny is up to."
I burst out laughing. "You're relentless. Grandmother. I will only say this once—I'm going through a shit time in my life."
Her face fell. "I'm sorry. But things will improve as Ben gets older and you get into a rhythm. Honey, we’re here to help you in any way we can."
"I’m grateful for that. The whole family has been great, but there's no way I can pull anyone else into this." Who would want to date me right now? I couldn't fathom a woman sticking around when I spent half my free time prepping baby food or changing diapers. And Naomi wasn’t easy to deal with.
"Hear me out. I know you like to give 100 percent to whatever you're doing."
"Yes."
"But that's not possible. It's not how life works. You’ll notice this more and more as you get older."
"What are you saying?" I asked.
"That you should take care of yourself too."
"Really? Is that why you got Penny’s life story in two minutes?"
"Oh, I do that with everyone. I've never been good at small talk. What's there to discuss? The weather? The neighborhood? I get straight to the facts. I can't connect to a person unless I know a bit about them."
"Funny, though, she said you didn't mention that I had a son."
My grandmother smiled widely. "Well, no. I thought that might be an interesting conversation starter for you two once you had your meet-cute."
"A what?" I asked.
"Never mind." She cleared her throat. “Just... don’t forget to live a little.”
"I'll keep that in mind, Grandmother," I said as I gunned the engine on our drive back.
Thirty minutes later, I was home. After giving me the rundown of the day, Agatha left. Scooping Ben out of the bassinet, I took him upstairs to get him ready for bed.
