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“Quite a bit, I’m afraid.” Her smile was somewhat rueful. “But she made me promise before I left that I’d tell everyone she’s doing just fine!”
Barb’s hazel eyes were round with worry. “You mean—she’s not?”
“She’s doing well for someone her age.” Phyl’s arm slid around the girl’s shoulders. “And you know Gram, she’s convinced everything will work out okay.”
Barb looked even more upset. “She is going to be all right, isn’t she?”
“Sure, she is.” Vanessa picked up her small purse and keys. “I must get to work. How about my dropping you and Jana off at school on my way?”
They grabbed their books and ran out ahead of her, as she’d hoped they would, and she was in her office within a few minutes of dropping them at school. Time flew with in-house matters to be taken care of immediately, then fax, e-mail, and phone messages to be answered.
She hardly glanced at a clock until Keith called around one-thirty to tell her Gram’s surgery was scheduled for the following morning. Vanessa wanted to let Rob know—actually, she wanted to hear his reassuring voice—but the funeral home’s answering machine gave the very proper message recorded by his partner stating that the service for some man was taking place at two that afternoon. Her call would be returned if she left a name and number.
She did that, then leaned back in her chair and punched in the number for Gram’s room. The connection went through quickly. “Good afternoon, how are you feeling?”
A soft laugh. “Grateful, mostly.”
“Grateful?” That wasn’t the word she’d have used.
“Mm-hmmm. My fall could have happened anytime, you know, but it took place when the girls were right there, and AnnaMae made the calls, and Rob and Pete came right away, and you stayed overnight—why shouldn’t I be grateful?”
Vanessa felt a crooked smile come to her own face. “Why not indeed?” But she wondered how many others would have reacted that way. “I understand that you’re scheduled for hip surgery tomorrow morning.”
“Right. And look, dear, don’t think you must be with me. Your primary responsibility has got to be there in Sylvan Falls.”
She knew Gram wasn’t referring to her job here at the plant. “Things went well last night. I stayed until Aunt Phyl came this morning, and dropped Jana and Barb off at school on my way here. Everyone’s fine.”
“I’ve been wondering about this afternoon, though. Phyl will need to leave no later than two-thirty to get back here for her shift at the hospital.”
Vanessa drew in a deep breath. “I was hoping to get away early, but there’s no way I can leave until at least four-thirty or five.”
“I’m going to call Gin Redding. Perhaps she can cover for us since she lives just across the side yard.”
Us, not you. Dear Gram, worrying about everything at home when she’s got enough problems there. “That would help, of course, but I hate to make you do the phoning.”
“Now you just get back to what you have to do, dear. I’ll call Gin, and if she can’t come over I’ll ask another friend. I’m sure to find someone.”
There was the click of a closed line, and Vanessa sat there for a moment looking at the phone still in her hand. Leaning forward, she replaced it and got to her feet. She made a practice of getting around to each department every day, convinced that being readily accessible avoided the necessity of spending a lot more time troubleshooting.
She was almost disappointed that Rob had not returned her call by the time she left at 5:28. With her mind on getting to Gram’s as soon as possible, and staying there, she’d verified that one of the foremen would receive any after-hours emergency calls. She considered stopping to pick up pizza on the way but had not had time to call ahead; she’d better hurry to relieve Gram’s good-hearted neighbor.
As she parked by the curb and hurried inside, Vanessa was still trying to decide what to have for dinner—and gave a sigh of relief when Gin told her that church members would be sending the evening meal each day until further notice. She knew Gram often did this for others, but had not considered a possible reversal of that kindness.
The doorbell rang, and Ricki hurried to respond. “Hi, Mr. Corland. So you’re the first to bring us a meal!”
“I guess I am.” He chuckled. “Want to take a couple of these?”
Going into the hallway, Vanessa was surprised to see his arms filled with a number of take-out boxes from her favorite steak house. “I hope everyone’s hungry,” he was saying even before she could greet him. “I brought both steak and barbecued chicken from Jerry’s Barbeque.”
Does he remember the two of us going there? It seems so long ago!
Barb and Jana also insisted on carrying containers to the kitchen, so he was empty-handed as she said, “Just set everything on the table till we get organized.”
They exclaimed over the abundance of not only the meat, vegetables and salads, but even cherry and apple pies. Vanessa asked, “Have you eaten, Rob?”
“Well, the church served a luncheon following the interment, and the family asked us to join them….”
“You and Gin will stay and eat with us,” Vanessa stated briskly. “There’s so much food.”
With the girls working together, it was only minutes until the table was set, coffee and hot water ready, the food on serving platters and everyone seated. At first the conversation primarily concerned Gram’s scheduled surgery, and the length of time anticipated for recovery and rehabilitation before she could return home.
Kate’s grandmother had died the year before, so she asked all kinds of questions about Rob’s work as a mortician. Vanessa tried several times to turn the conversation to something more pleasant, but the girl kept coming back to that subject.
Jana and Barb talked about Sylvan Falls, comparing the school and community here with their own—but said little about families and friends they’d left to come here.
Rob’s pager beeped as they were eating dessert, and Vanessa was sorry to hear him say, “Yes, I’ll be there as quickly as possible.”
Vanessa walked out to the porch with Rob and thanked him again for bringing dinner. “My pleasure, Van.” His hand reached for hers and gave it a firm squeeze. “It’s been a long time since we ate a meal together.”
She nodded—and felt almost bereft when he released her hand.
“I must hurry home and change into something less casual than jeans and sweatshirt. I’m expected to look professional when I go to the hospital for someone. You remember Nate Bowman, don’t you?”
“Of course. He was an especially good friend of Grandad’s, one of his buddies.” Being reminded of her grandfather still gave her that clutching pain in her stomach. Another fireman dead! He was one of those who tried to rescue Grandad, and now he’s gone, too. I hope Gram doesn’t know, for that would make her feel even worse.
The girls were already putting away leftovers and loading the dishwasher when Vanessa walked back into the house after bidding Rob goodnight. In spite of the conversation and activities with the girls, she felt more alone with him gone.
But she wouldn’t dwell on her own feelings; Gram had asked her to check the homework of the younger girls and make sure the older ones studied for their General Equivalency Diploma exams.
None of the three who were old enough to graduate from high school had done so. Ricki would have last June, near the head of her class, had she not run off with her “one true love,” who was in the army and stationed in the Midwest. He had not married her, as he’d said he was going to—and now denied paternity.
Kate dropped out of school after her junior year, going to work at a fast-food place, “…to make money, have a car, and stuff like that.” AnnaMae admitted to having been in a state of rebellion; education was so overwhelmingly important to her parents that no matter what grades she got or what she achieved, nothing was “good enough.” She’d eventually stopped studying or doing assignments and deliberately got poor marks.
Vanessa related especially to that; she had not stopped studying—and even graduated second in her class, but she’d rebelled in other ways. Looking back, she was ashamed of deliberately hanging around people her age and older who were known for drinking, wild driving and other questionable activities, including marijuana use.
It was a phase that had not lasted long, thank goodness; she had not fit in there, but remained on the sidelines, something of a nonjudging bystander, not actively participating in much of what was going on, but being associated with them in people’s minds. But I did get Mother’s attention, and succeeded in upsetting her as much as she upset me….
Gram had stressed how essential it was for the girls to study hard and get their GEDs, so Vanessa struggled to remember algebraic fundamentals forgotten since high school—and began to realize what her grandmother was involved with every day!
While checking homework for the younger two, she reminded them all that Gram’s rules, which they’d agreed to when coming here, were still in effect, including being in bed early on week nights. They hurried into pajamas and came back downstairs in time to watch TV for thirty minutes.
As it turned out, she did permit them some leeway, since they were upset to learn that Gram’s fracture was so severe, and she would be undergoing surgery the next day.
The older three usually had an extra hour before they were required to be in their rooms. She’d expected to go upstairs soon after them, and when the phone rang, she dreaded to pick it up. Hearing Rob’s voice she sank back into the recliner with relief—or something more?
“I hope this isn’t too late to be calling, Van?”
She laughed. “Not too late since it’s you.” But then, realizing how that might sound, she sat up straighter, explaining, “I was afraid it was the hospital—that something might be wrong there. Or perhaps it would be a problem at work.”
“Nope. Just me.” His voice was reassuring. “I wondered if you might have any more news, so I called to check before turning in for the night.”
They spoke of various other things, too, especially Nate Bowman’s wife and two daughters, who were holding up quite well, perhaps partly because he’d been in the nursing home so long before his death.
She was pleased when Rob admitted, “Actually, my main reason for calling was to thank you again for inviting me to stay for dinner. I enjoyed being with you.”
Is he just being polite? “We appreciated your company as much as the food you brought.” She had deliberately used we instead of I.
“It brought back a lot of memories….”
Yes, it did!
Chapter Two
Vanessa expected the morning’s routine to be similar to the day before, but shortly after she got downstairs, Mrs. Redding came across the yard, offering to stay until Aunt Phyl arrived. “…In case you want to go around to visit your grandmother on the way to work,” she told Vanessa.
She blinked back unexpected tears at Gin’s generosity. “I’d been wishing I could see her before her surgery. And may I ask another favor? I know Gram’s accident was already on the prayer chain, but could you start it again, saying that surgery is scheduled for ten o’clock and asking for prayers?”
“Rob put it on already.” Her hand was pressing firmly against Vanessa’s waist. “So you get going.”
It was a perfect autumn day, every direction she looked revealing countless shades of red, yellow, orange, even wine, elegantly set off by evergreens. This was her favorite season, and she recalled Gram saying last Sunday at a family get-together, “Each year I think God can’t make it any more beautiful, but He outdid Himself this October!”
The hills and mountains made Vanessa glad to be living here in north-central Pennsylvania. Gram kept thanking God for all this, but if He was really as all-powerful and all-knowing as she thought, wouldn’t He already know how much people enjoyed it?
Once she arrived at the hospital, it didn’t take Vanessa long to find Gram’s room. She sat on the edge of Gram’s hospital bed, holding her hand. “It’s okay, Gram, to admit you’re a little nervous about surgery.”
The older woman grinned at her. “All right, I am having some nervousness, and I’m aware that I’ll hurt a lot when I come to. However, I’ve lived with constant pain since my fall, and that won’t go away by itself. Once the surgery and the hurting are over—and the therapy—I expect to eventually get around fine.”
Vanessa leaned over and kissed Gram’s cheek, and didn’t realize until Gram’s arms came around her and the soft voice said, “Thank you, dear,” that this was the first in a long time that she’d been the one to initiate such a loving embrace with her grandmother.
Why am I like this? Am I afraid to show love because Mother used to push me away when I wanted to hug or kiss her, saying she hated getting all rumpled? Almost with reluctance, she straightened. “Rob’s put you on the prayer chain again.”
“Tell him I appreciate his doing that. Why should I worry with all those prayers uplifting me?”
Vanessa admired Gram’s being so bright-eyed and cheerful. “Do you have messages for the girls, or the family?” That sounds as though I’m offering to dispense her final words—as though I don’t think she’ll survive!
But before she’d figured how to make that sound better, Gram was saying, “Tell each of the girls how much I love her, just as she is now. And say that I also love her for what she will be, with God’s help and guidance. I respect her for sticking by the decision to have her baby, and I’m looking forward to helping her through that—and afterward.”
“Good morning, Gram!” Keith came strolling in, wearing a dark-blue business suit and tie. “And a good morning to you, also, Van.”
“Are Andi and Katherine going home today?” Gram asked.
His eyes sparkled. “Leave it to you to think first of happy prospects, Gram! Yes, they’ll be leaving later this morning, but right now they’re doing something extra special.” He stepped back a pace, his arm encircling his beautiful wife, who came in carrying a small, pink-wrapped bundle in her arms.
Andi looked indescribably happy. “Katherine and I got a special dispensation to leave our floor and come wish you the very best through surgery and recovery.”
Gram had been tilted upward slightly and now, without thinking, attempted to sit upright and reach for the sleeping infant. She gasped, face contorted with agony. Sinking back against her pillow, she wiped moisture from her upper lip and forehead. “Thanks, Andi,” she managed to say in an obvious struggle to keep her voice fairly normal. “How thoughtful and generous of you!”
“It’s pure selfishness on my part.” Andi was going along with Gram’s facade of being all right. “We couldn’t be in the same hospital and not come to be with you for at least a little while.” She leaned over to kiss her and to settle her daughter in the arms of her great-grandmother.
It was just a short time before a nurse came with yet another presurgery form, and Keith and Andi left with the baby. Vanessa had planned to stay until Gram was actually on her way to surgery, but Gram wouldn’t hear of it. “As you see, I’m being very well taken care of. I appreciate your coming, dear, but you run along to your office, and get all those important things taken care of.”
She didn’t want to leave, but there were calls which should already have been made and a mix-up in Research and Development she hoped wouldn’t be too difficult to straighten out. And she never knew what else could be awaiting her when she arrived.
While diligently working in her office at the plant, Vanessa received a call from her dad a little after two-thirty, letting her know that he was back from his business trip to Europe, and saying the surgery was over and Gram was in the recovery room, doing as well as could be expected.
She hated that expression; it meant so little! Was Gram as good as one would expect of someone her age, or good compared with everyone? And whose expectations did that refer to, anyway? Gram herself expected to be up and about quickly.
A shiver passed through her, there at the big desk in her pristinely organized office. Her own hopes had not been as high as they probably should be; Vanessa would never have Gram’s kind of faith. She had, of course, participated in AnnaMae’s prayer, and she’d been hoping a lot, but she didn’t really know….
It was several more hours before Keith’s call. “Hi, cousin!” he greeted her. “Good news—Gram was brought back to her room maybe an hour ago. She’s having a lot of pain, but they say things went well.”
“Great! About things going well, that is, not the pain. Are you still at the hospital?”
“I came home a few minutes ago. I’d brought Andi and Katherine here while Gram was in surgery, then had to go to the office for an hour or two, to take care of a rush matter. But I was there when they brought her back.”
There were unfamiliar sounds in the background. “Am I hearing your little one?”
He chuckled. “Up until we started talking, Katherine was quiet as could be.”
“I understand that happens when there’s a child in the family, but didn’t know they started this young.”
“See? We knew she’d be precocious!”
Vanessa was only half joking when she suggested, “How could she help but be with you as her father?”
“Much more so with her one-in-a-million mother!”
There was a softness in the way he said that, and Vanessa thought that might be the whisper of a kiss she heard, and then an even softer sigh. She was almost jealous of such a love as theirs, which she was half-afraid to hope for…to one day experience….
Vanessa pulled in behind the big black sedan parked in front of Gram’s house, wondering who was supplying dinner this time. She’d never been good at identifying vehicles and, besides, didn’t know what cars her grandmother’s friends drove. She seldom attended church except when she couldn’t get out of a special invitation by Gram to an occasional Easter or Christmas service.
She heard laughter as she entered the hallway, and Rob’s unmistakable deep voice. Gin Redding’s higher-pitched one then said, “She’d have called if she was going to be real late, so you’d better wait to dish up till she gets here.”
Vanessa was by now at the end of the hall, in the kitchen doorway. “It sounds as though I arrived just in time!”
They were all talking at once, then let Rob explain, “Mrs. Seaforth must have spent all day cooking and baking. She said she would prepare food if someone could deliver it, and I was the lucky one.”
“Aggie Seaforth sent all this?” The table was covered with homemade cinnamon rolls and two pies in addition to numerous bowls and containers. To the girls she added, “I thought she was old when I was a child.” Then she turned to ask Gin, “What is she now? In her mideighties?”
The neighbor was near the back door, apparently ready to leave. “Upper-eighties, at least—but I’ll bet she’s had one great day of it! She had seven kids, you know, then all those grandchildren. It probably seemed like old times for her to cook for the six of you. Or more…”
“Stay and eat with us, Gin.” Vanessa had walked over and was lifting lids. “There’s so much here, and you know what an excellent cook our dear Agatha is.”
“I don’t want to butt in….”
“You can’t butt in when you’re invited, and the more the merrier, as Gram would say. You certainly deserve it, after coming over twice today.
“And you stay, too, Rob. After all, you brought all this.”
