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I laugh at that and brush off my weird response as I go back into the kitchen to greet his grandmother.
She’s stirring a pot on the stove, and I clap my hands in delight as I realize she’s made her special peppermint hot chocolate to celebrate the start of our trip.
“I’m not going to delay you here since I’m sure you’re eager to get started,” she tells me. “You and Chase can take it with you.”
“Thank you! But there’s not really a huge hurry. I’ve been prepping myself to be relaxed and easygoing this trip.”
Chase snorts from the hallway, clearly overhearing me.
I roll my eyes. “He doesn’t believe I have it in me to be easygoing. But I’m sure I can manage if I try hard enough.”
His grandma giggles. “Of course you can, honey. You’ve always been able to do anything you set your mind to. We’ve always been so proud of you.”
I’m touched by the sentiment and also curious about who the “we” is in her sentence. Maybe just a generic collective of people from town.
Chase has been getting his shoes on and grabbing an old backpack from his bedroom that I remember him carrying in ninth grade. “I’ll put my stuff in the car and be back,” he says, pausing at the kitchen door.
“Okay. I’ve got the bags all organized in my trunk, so don’t make a mess of it.”
“I’d never make a mess.” His expression is utterly sober.
I make a face at him. “I’m serious. Keep things orderly!”
“As you wish.”
I chuckle at his mock sincerity.
His grandmother smiles affectionately at his back. “He’s such a good boy.”
It’s quite clear to me that she’s every bit as proud of him as she’d be if he had some sort of high-powered career or was already married and had bestowed on her two or three great-grandbabies.
For some reason, the thought makes my throat tighten and my eyes prickle.
“I’ve trapped him here you know.”
“What?” Completely distracted from my emotion of the moment before, I gape at her. “You haven’t done anything of the kind.”
“Yes, I have. He wouldn’t go to college because he thought I needed him here. Then he wouldn’t move somewhere else or even move out of the house. How can he be expected to live his own life or start his own family when he’s stuck in this house taking care of me?”
I honestly had no idea that she was the reason Chase never moved out of his childhood bedroom. Like everyone else, I assumed it was because he couldn’t be bothered. But the guilt in her voice really upsets me. “None of it is your fault. I’m sure you’ve always tried to encourage him to do anything he wants to do.”
“I have.” She lets out a long breath, clearly breathing out her momentary angst. She’s always been an upbeat, cheerful woman. “He won’t listen.”
“So there you go. None of it is your fault. He could have gone to college here if he’d wanted to. There are some local places and tons of online options—even back then. I always told him he should.”
“He got his degree online a few years ago. Didn’t you know that?”
I gasp and straighten up. “No! I had no idea he’d done that. He never told anyone!”
His grandmother shakes her head as she stirs the hot chocolate. “That boy.”
“I never saw him doing any work or studying or anything.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure he had to study all that much. School was never hard for him.”
“I know. He’s way too smart. I can’t believe he was sneaking around doing that without telling anyone.”
“Don’t tell him I spilled the beans. He’s never liked people making a big deal about him.”
