The following Saturday, I woke early.
The children were coming to visit.
I had been looking forward to it all week, though I tried not to make too much of a fuss.
I changed the sheets in the spare bedroom.
I put fresh towels in the bathroom.
Then I stood in the kitchen, wondering what to cook.
At Colin's house, I had always known what the children liked.
Lucas preferred mashed potatoes without gravy.
His younger brother liked chicken but complained if the vegetables touched it.
I knew which snacks they would ask for before dinner.
Here, I could prepare whatever I wanted.
Still, I wanted them to feel at home.
I settled on roast chicken, potatoes, and green beans.
I baked a small batch of cookies, too.
The kitchen smelled warm and familiar by the time I finished.
At eleven forty, a car pulled into the driveway.
I wiped my hands on a towel and went outside.
Lucas climbed out first.
His brother followed, carrying a backpack.
Colin was behind them.
Jessica remained in the passenger seat for a moment before opening her door.
“Grandma!”
Lucas ran toward me.
I bent down and wrapped my arms around him.
His brother joined us, nearly knocking me off balance.
I laughed.
“Careful, boys. I'm not as sturdy as I used to be.”
Lucas stepped back.
“Dad said we could stay for lunch.”
“Your dad was right.”
I looked at Colin.
“Come inside.”
He stood near the porch steps, studying the cottage.
“This is a nice place, Mom.”
“Thank you.”
He glanced toward the rose bushes.
“Did you plant those?”
“They were already here. I've been trying to tidy them up.”
He nodded.
I couldn't tell whether he was uncomfortable or simply unsure what to say.
Perhaps both.
Jessica came up the path carrying a small bag.
She looked around the porch before following us inside.
The children moved quickly from room to room.
They wanted to see the kitchen, the spare bedroom, and the little garden behind the house.
Lucas stopped in front of the photograph of Arthur on my bedside table.
“That's Grandpa, right?”
“Yes.”
“He looks younger there.”
“He was.”
I sat beside him and told him about the day the photograph had been taken.
Arthur had been holding a fishing rod, although he had spent most of that particular trip helping another man untangle his line.
Lucas laughed.
“Grandpa always helped everybody?”
“He tried to.”
I looked at the photograph again.
I had spent so many years remembering the things Arthur did for others that I had almost forgotten how often he reminded me to take care of myself.
I wished I could ask him what he would think of everything that had happened.
I suspected he would tell me I had waited too long.
Then he would probably ask whether I had enough money for groceries.
That was Arthur.
At lunchtime, we sat around the kitchen table.
The children talked about school.
Lucas told me about a project he was working on.
His brother interrupted twice to correct him.
I let them argue.
I didn't need to referee every disagreement.
Jessica watched them for a while.
Then she looked at me.
“You seem settled here.”
“I am.”
“Do you miss the house?”
I considered the question.
“I miss seeing the children every morning.”
She nodded.
“What about Colin and me?”
I put down my fork.
“I miss the good parts of living together. I don't miss feeling as though I have to earn my place.”
She looked down at her plate.
Nobody spoke for a few seconds.
I regretted nothing about the answer.
But I wasn't trying to hurt her.
I wanted us to understand one another, even if that took time.
After lunch, the boys went outside.
They wanted to inspect the rose bushes and see whether there was room for a small vegetable garden.
I followed them onto the porch.
Colin stayed behind with Jessica.
Through the open kitchen window, I heard them speaking quietly.
I didn't try to listen.
I had spent enough time overhearing conversations that left me feeling unwanted.
Instead, I helped Lucas decide where a few pots might fit.
“Can we plant tomatoes?”
“Of course.”
“Will they grow before summer?”
“We'll have to see.”
He grinned.
“You should grow strawberries, too.”
I laughed.
“Perhaps I will.”
When it was time to leave, the boys hugged me again.
Lucas asked whether they could return the following weekend.
“We'll arrange it with your parents,” I said.
Colin carried their bags to the car.
Before he left, he turned toward me.
“Thanks for having us.”
“You're welcome.”
He hesitated.
Then he added, “The boys had a good time.”
“So did I.”
He nodded and walked away.
I stood on the porch until the car disappeared around the bend.
The cottage became quiet again.
But it was a comfortable quiet.
The children had visited because they wanted to see me.
Not because somebody needed me to watch them.
Not because they needed their laundry done.
Just because they wanted to spend time with their grandmother.
I went inside and collected the empty plates.
The dishes could wait a little while.
I made myself a cup of coffee and sat by the window.
For years, I had believed that being part of a family meant always being available.
That afternoon, I began to understand something different.
Love didn't require me to live in the same house.
And it didn't require me to disappear into everybody else's needs.
Click here to continue reading: PART 14: Colin Asked Me to Explain the Property Company, and I Realized the Truth Would Hurt More Than the Notice
My Family Laughed at My Birthday Gift, but I Saw Something Under the Silver Coating That Changed Everything
Part 13 of 20
