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Grandma slipped one arm through Nicole’s, and the other through mine, and we walked forward at the slow pace necessitated by old age. My grandparents—the ones I could remember, and who could still walk—had been the same way.
I didn’t mind the gentle speed, but Nicole’s body was tense, and she kept looking ahead.
“Why don’t you go on ahead and investigate the breakfast offerings?” Grandma suggested. “Jenna and I will be just fine.”
“If you’re sure.” Nicole took off down the hallway without a backward glance.
Grandma smiled up at me. “I’ve been hoping to talk to you alone anyway. There are a few things you should know about the Donaldsons.”
My whole body tensed. I didn’t deserve to hear any deep family secrets. “Oh, you don’t have to... Uh...”
Grandma didn’t seem to have heard me. “Has Adam told you very much about his father?”
“A little.” Averylittle. Adam had barely mentioned the man. Was it going to seem odd that I didn’t know important details?
“Ron lost his own father at a young age, and I didn’t do a very good job raising a son all on my own.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I interjected. Not with the way Adam talked about her, or the evidence before my eyes as to what a kind, good person she was.
“Thank you, Jenna, but it is. After my husband died, I got a job as a secretary for a federal judge. I didn’t think I had enough time to care for Ron like a mother who didn’t have to work, so I sent him to live with his aunt—my late husband’s sister. She didn’t have any children, so I thought she’d dote on her nephew.” Grandma smiled sadly. “She spoiled him, but by the time I realized that and had him back to live with me, he was unmanageable—rude and selfish.”
I could hardly imagine anyone mistreating such a kind, pleasant woman. “I’m so sorry.”
“I hoped maybe getting married and becoming a father would mature him, but Ron never changed. When she met him, poor Bev had already been through a lot of problems in her own family. She’s really a sweet girl at heart. And she’s had some terrible luck with men! My Ron included.”
Grandma was awfully ready to take all the blame for Ron’s behavior. We reached the elevator, and I pressed the button to go up. “I’m sorry to hear about all these troubles.” I considered my next words carefully, not wishing to overstep my role as a fake girlfriend. Still, I couldn’t let the moment pass without trying to alleviate the guilt she so obviously held. “I know your love and support mean the world to Adam.”
A sunshine smile dawned on her face. “It’s impossible not to love Adam. He was the sweetest, dearest boy in the world. Always imagining the most amazing things! Even when he was little, I could hardly understand how his mind worked. And he had a tender little heart.” Grandma patted my hand. “But I don’t need to tell you that.”
“Yeah...” I knew I shouldn’t pry, but I couldn’t resist asking for an explanation about the story Beverly told the night before. “At dinner, when Beverly was telling about Adam digging all those holes in the backyard—” I froze as Grandma’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry; forget I said anything!”
She held tightly onto my arm as we departed the elevator. “Oh, no, it’s not your fault. It’s just that spraining his ankle was the excuse Ron gave to leave his family.” She fished a pack of tissues from her handbag and dabbed at her eyes. “Ron said a brilliant mind like his couldn’t be hampered by the demands of caring for children. Crushed Adam. Back then, he wanted to be just like his dad.”
Why on earth would Beverly tell that story like it was just some funny anecdote? I felt an actual twinge of pain in my heart. That was too heavy a burden for a child to carry. “It doesn’t seem like Adam has the highest opinion of his dad now.”
Grandma sighed. “Did he tell you about Peru?”
I tried to recall everything Adam said about his past. “Only that Ron lives there and doesn’t often leave.”
She shook her head. “I had a feeling Adam would keep these things to himself. Bev’s second husband didn’t like Adam very much, and things got so unpleasant that she sent Adam to live with Ron for a while. Ron was just as self-centered as ever. Forgot to keep up with Adam’s medicine and he got malaria.”
“Wow.” I’d suspected Adam had some stuff in his past that skewed his perspective on relationships, but this history was even worse than I’d thought.
Grandma stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked up at me with incredible sincerity. “I’ve long worried about Adam, that it was all too much for him, but I can rest easy now that he has you. I always knew that same sweet, loving boy was still inside of him, just waiting for someone like you to come along and help him find himself again.”
My mouth opened and closed. Adam wanted me to come on the cruise to please his grandma, and it sounded like I’d accomplished that. But it felt horrible deceiving such a nice person.
Grandma patted my hand again. “It’s hard to put love into words, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” My stomach twisted with guilt over leading her to believe a lie. I couldn’t tell her the truth, though, not without risking her heart.
Nicole walked back to us before we’d even made it to the buffet. “Looks pretty good. I grabbed us a table.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at Nicole. Grandma hadn’t mentioned her in the family story, but Nicole had to have been just as scarred by the past.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel right leaving my pretend boyfriend alone. “You know what? I’m going to go wake up Adam. I don’t want him to miss breakfast. I’ll catch up with you on the pool deck if we don’t make it back in time.” Nicole’s schedule had us either lounging or doing poolside activities between breakfast and lunch.
“See you soon!” Grandma transferred over to Nicole’s arm and shuffled away.
