Chapter 5
“Oh my, Della McGregor. Is that you?” I smiled when I heard the soft twang as soon I began to grab my luggage off of the rack and turned to see my Grams. She looked almost exactly the same as when I had last seen her, besides a few extra wrinkles.
Her snow-white hair reached just the bottom of her chin, and her deep-green eyes glistened with a youthfulness that I’m sure made others her age jealous. She reminded me a lot of Betty White. A little flighty sometimes but she always managed to make me laugh.
“Hi, Grams.” I hesitantly stepped towards her and she made up for the distance and wrapped her tiny arms around me, smashing me into a tight hug. I had felt guilty for not seeing them since I had left. We had talked on the phone plenty, but I knew that wasn’t the same.
“Well, darling, you just grew up into a beautiful woman since the last time we saw you. And look at how tall you’ve gotten,” she peered up at me and I had to stifle a giggle. She was almost a foot shorter than I was, and today I only had ballet flats on. Normally, I had a pair of heeled boots on or something that added even more to my height.
“Now, I know you at least got that from that son of mine. Everything else seems to come from Lillian.” She pursed her lips together as she studied my face for just a second longer and then began to help me with my luggage.
“Let’s just hope her personality hasn’t rubbed off too,” she muttered ahead of me as she led the way out of the airport. She probably thought that I hadn’t heard her. Even the last time I had seen her, she had been a little hard of hearing and tended to talk loudly because of it.
I began to worry that had happened as we inched closer to the familiar pickup truck that was parked alongside the curb, and my grandpa slowly made his way out of it when he saw us coming. My grandpa was a stern man but also had a soft side to him. And most of the time, that soft side only came out for my grandma and I. I’m sure my behavior as of late had probably disappointed him, and I wasn’t sure how warm his welcome would be.
“Hello Adelaide,” he said in a gruff tone before relieving my grandma of the two bags she had helped bring out. Two words, that was all he said to me in the almost hour drive back to their house from the airport.
It felt a little surreal, and kind of like I was dreaming, being in North Carolina. After my mother had informed me of where I would be going, I had a bit of a breakdown. My room literally looked like a tornado had gone through it by everything I had thrown at the door.
By the time I finally calmed down almost two hours later, I had started to warm up to the idea a bit, even though my mother would never find out about it. This was the fresh start I was looking for. For whatever reason, I couldn’t figure that out on my own, but I knew leaving Connecticut would be for the best.
I had crammed almost every piece of clothing that I owned into my bags and lined them up that morning, looking around my room one last time. I didn’t have any plans for returning here, so it would probably be the last time I saw it.
Of course, my mother hadn’t been there to say goodbye to her only child before shipping me off. And she wondered why my grandparents disliked her so much. They never said anything in front of me since she was my mother, but I was a pretty good people-reader.
I hadn’t seen them since I had moved away, so that would probably be a little awkward. I think I sort of blamed them for their son not wanting me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my grandparents. They lived about two hours away from my old hometown and I had spent almost every summer with them, and those were best I had ever had.
I glanced out the window, looking at the scenic drive that was so different than Connecticut. I really didn’t even feel any kind of sadness for leaving the place that I had called home for almost the past five years. All I felt when I thought of it was guilt. Guilt for turning into the person that I had become and guilt for my actions. Now was the time to forget my past and just move forward.
“Oh my, you look worn out.” Grams voice interrupted my thoughts. “I’m just so excited you’re here. I’ll zip my lips for the rest of the trip home so you can get some shut-eye.”
“Thanks, Grams,” I managed to mumble before my eyelids drooped shut and I partially listened to my grandparents hushed conversation before drifting off.
I was jolted awake when we pulled onto the gravel driveway, and I looked up at the log cabin that had always felt like home to me. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and rubbed my neck. Sleeping in the truck did not equal a very comfortable nap.
“C’mon now, Della. Let’s get out of this truck and stretch our legs. I’m sure you’ve missed this place.”
I looked up at the house again, and it was like Grams had read my mind. My grandpa had built it when he and my Grams had first gotten married, and it was simply stunning. The backdrop of the lake, that about a dozen houses were situated around, made it even more spectacular. They were always making some kind of renovations, never letting it get stuck in the past and always making it look modern with a rustic feel. My mom had hated this place.
I quickly breathed in the fresh air, my lungs feeling relieved by it. Sure, Connecticut was great, but it always felt so suffocating to me. Here, I felt like I could breathe freely for the first time in awhile.
I glanced over at the neighbor’s house that probably sat about a half a mile away, but my grandparents were friendly with all of them. The house seemed to be still with no movement, and I peeled my eyes away when Grams tugged lightly on my hand.
“Right this way, Della. I can’t wait to show you your new room. I know you’ll only be staying with us for a week or so before you move into the dorms, but I figured you might need a place to get away sometimes. Hopefully, you come back and visit us old people on the weekends every once in awhile.
I’ve been watching that HGTV channel lately, it’s like an addiction. I think your Grandpa’s tried to block it a time or two. He wouldn’t if he knows what’s best for him. Now your coming was a little short notice, but I hope you like what I fixed up for you, darlin’.”
I followed her through the open living room and kitchen that still had the same furniture, for the most part, with a few added things here and there. The winding staircase led to an open hallway that overlooked the downstairs and three rooms that were normally set up as guest rooms and a sewing room.
“Here we are. This used to be your fathers room, you know?” she called out over her shoulder before I followed her into the room. She had transformed it since the last time I had been there.
The walls were painted in a pale pink with wide vertical white stripes placed around the bottom half. A full-size bed was pushed into one corner and a fluffy comforter that matched the pink paint covered it, along with a homemade quilt I recognized as one my Grams had made for me when I was a baby. A small antique looking desk was against the other wall and an overstuffed white chair that I recognized, sat underneath the wide window that overlooked the lake.
I immediately went and sat down in the chair that had brought back so many memories. It used to sit in the living room, and it was my favorite spot to sit when I stayed here. My grandpa would bring me breakfast almost every morning while I sat there watching cartoons, and Grams and I would snuggle up when I was younger and watch her afternoon soaps.
“You really shouldn’t have gone to all of this trouble, but I love it Grams. It’s perfect. Thanks for putting all of this together on such short notice. It was kind of a surprise to me too. Dad didn’t even call to tell me what was going on.”
“He didn’t?” Her brows bunched together in surprise, and she placed a hand on her hip. “Well, I think I’ll need to be giving that son of mine a call. You know I’m not making any excuses, but he is pretty busy with his job. He should always make time for his daughter though, and I think that’s one of his biggest regrets.”
I knew that much at least. His job was pretty demanding, and he traveled a lot. Shortly after my mom handed him divorce papers, he was giving a promotion at the restaurant company that he worked for and now traveled all over the US helping new franchises get started up. It was kind of ironic that my mom had left him right before that happened. She had always wanted a better life and as soon as she decided to drop my dad, he was able to provide one.
“No worries, Grams. I’m sure we’ll catch up eventually.” I crossed my fingers hoping that was the truth, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
“Okay, Della. Well, I’ll let you get all settled in and then if you would like, you can come down and help me fix some supper.” I answered with a nod, and she quietly shut the door. I dropped down to the floor to start unloading one of my bags that I figured I would need for the week. I still hadn’t warmed up to the whole idea of living in the dorms. I hated to say it, but my mom was right when she said I was pampered.
It was hard to believe that my life was all packed away in five suitcases, granted it was all pretty much clothes, so I guess it did end up being a lot. I’m not sure if my style would really fit in down here. Fashion was pretty much everything back home. The tag on a shirt pretty much guaranteed you a spot in society.
I slid tank tops and dresses onto empty hangers in the small closet that was in the connected bathroom. There was only room for about half of my stuff, so I had no clue what I was going to do about that dilemma. I was sure the dorms would be even worse. I texted my mom before I headed down stairs, figuring she would at least want to know I got here safely.
“Hey Grams, what can I do to help?” I entered the kitchen, inhaling deeply the scents wafting through the air. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal, my mom certainly never stepped one of her stiletto heels into the kitchen.
Grams wiped her flour covered hands on her apron that was cinched at the waist and handed me an armful of vegetables. “You can chop these all up. I’m making chicken and dumplings for supper. I know that used to be your favorite. And I even have a rhubarb pie for dessert,” she added with a wink before going back to work on the dumpling dough.
“That sounds fabulous. I’ll have to watch what I eat though, or I’ll be gaining ten pounds in the week that I’m here.”
“Oh honey, no need to worry about that. As long as you stay active, you can keep it all off and enjoy some home cooking. It would do you some good to have some meat on those bones anyway.” Oh Grams if you only knew.
We worked together like we had never been apart. I had always loved helping Grams in the kitchen, it was her domain, and I liked to think it had rubbed off on me a bit. After setting the table, the three of us sat down together, and I savored every last bite. Grandpa was silent the whole time until his pie was completely cleared off his plate.
“Now Adelaide,” he said, clearing his throat and swiping at his mouth with a napkin. “We need to set some ground rules around here. I know you are an adult now, but you need to prove to us that you can act like one.” I groaned internally but kept a smile on my face. I knew this would be coming, and I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for it.
I just had to keep reminding myself that this would only be for a couple of months and then eventually I would be able to prove myself. I was hell-bent on getting my credit cards and car back. I wasn’t quite sure how I would live without them.
“You’re going to need to earn our trust first of all. The things your father has told us, well, are simply unacceptable. Grandma all ready has all of the information for your enrollment. Apparently, that stepfather of yours was able to pull some strings and get you in at the last minute. You just need to go to the registration office on Monday. We expect you to check in every day to let us know how your classes are going and so we can make sure that you are keeping up with your studies. I picked up a bus schedule for you while I was in town, so that should be helpful.”
Whoa, hold up. The bus? That word alone made me break out in hives. I was seriously going to have to ride on a bus? Didn’t they know how germ-infested those things were? The look of horror that passed over my face must not have fazed Grandpa because he continued on.
“You will also help your grandmother around the house with chores on the weekends in between studying. Now, I understand you’re still young and you’re going to want to do things with friends, that’s understandable, but we need to know what you’re doing and who you’re doing them with at all times.”
Yeah, right. I figured I could behave myself for the most part, but there was no way in hell my grandparents would be knowing my whereabouts every single minute of the day. I let out a deep breath. “Okay, I don’t think I’ll have any problems following those rules.” Hopefully. Sometimes I just needed an escape, but I’m sure if I explained that to Grandpa, he wouldn’t find my explanation acceptable.
“And one last thing,” he added, wagging a finger at me. “You will be attending church with us every Sunday.”
“Wh-at?” I stammered out. “I can’t do that.” I couldn’t remember the last time I had been to church and I was pretty sure if I stepped into one, I would probably catch on fire.
“Adelaide, God is very forgiving. Now is the time that you need to be looking for guidance and the church is one of the best places for that. It is not up for discussion, so be ready at nine o’clock sharp.” He pushed in his chair and stood with his plate in his hand before heading to the kitchen. Grams gave me a small, reassuring smile before doing the same, leaving me at the table alone.
Today had been exhausting to say the least, and I had so much to look forward to tomorrow. Maybe thinking I would get a fresh start here was completely wrong. It seemed like my past would always catch up with me.