The children arrived on a Saturday afternoon.
I heard them before I heard the knock.
Their voices carried up the staircase.
Then came three quick knocks.
I opened the door.
Augie stood in front.
He was holding something behind his back.
The other two children were peeking around him.
"Grandma!"
I laughed.
"Come in, all of you."
Augie stepped inside first.
He looked around.
His eyes went straight to the window.
Then he looked toward the kitchen.
"This is your new house?"
"It's my new apartment."
He walked a little farther.
"It's bigger than the garage room."
I smiled.
"It feels bigger to me, too."
Hugh came in behind them.
He carried a small bag.
Marlee followed.
She gave me a polite smile.
"Hello, Mama."
"Hello, Marlee. Come in."
I stepped aside.
The children were already exploring.
They looked at the chair near the window.
They looked at the little table.
Then Augie noticed the kitchen.
"Grandma, do you have a real stove?"
I laughed.
"Yes, I do."
He looked pleased.
"And you can cook anything?"
"Almost anything."
He looked toward his father.
"See? Grandma can make pancakes here."
Hugh smiled.
"Maybe she'll make some next time."
I looked at Augie.
"We'll see."
I didn't promise.
That was another thing I was learning.
I could be generous without agreeing to everything immediately.
The children sat at the table.
I brought out the little bowl of candies.
They each took one.
Augie examined the wrapped pieces.
"Can I have another?"
"One for now."
He accepted that.
Marlee stood near the kitchen.
She looked at the cupboards.
Then at the counter.
"This is nice," she said.
"Thank you."
She didn't say anything else.
Hugh walked toward the window.
He looked outside.
"Good light in here."
I nodded.
"That's one of the things I liked."
For a while, we talked about ordinary things.
The children told me about school.
One had a story about a classmate.
Another told me about a drawing.
I listened.
I asked questions.
I laughed when Augie made a funny face.
It felt good.
I had missed their voices.
At one point, Augie came over and stood beside my chair.
"Grandma?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Are you staying here forever?"
I looked at him.
"I hope to stay here a long time."
He nodded.
Then he looked at the window.
"Does it smell like the garage?"
I laughed softly.
"No, it doesn't."
He seemed satisfied.
I touched his shoulder.
"You can come visit me whenever we arrange it."
He smiled.
Then he returned to the table.
I looked toward Hugh.
He had heard the exchange.
His expression was difficult to read.
I wondered whether he remembered the first time Augie had asked me about the garage smell.
I wondered whether he understood that a child had noticed what the adults had tried to describe as cozy.
Marlee asked whether I had finished unpacking.
I told her I had.
She looked toward the bedroom.
"Everything fit?"
"Yes."
Hugh picked up his bag.
"We brought you something."
I looked at him.
He handed me a small container.
Inside were some cookies.
The children had helped choose them, he said.
I thanked him.
It was a simple gesture.
I didn't want to make it into something bigger than it was.
But I appreciated it.
The visit lasted about an hour.
Before leaving, Augie hugged me.
The other children followed.
I held them close.
I didn't want them to feel caught between adults.
They were children.
They deserved to enjoy their grandmother without worrying about rent or house rules.
After they left, I closed the door.
I stood in the quiet apartment.
The little bowl of candies was nearly empty.
There were crumbs on the table.
I smiled.
For the first time since moving, the apartment felt full of family.
And I liked that.
Click here to continue reading: PART 15: My Son Began Calling More Often, but Every Conversation Reminded Me That We Had Never Really Discussed What Happened
My Son Offered Me a Place to Live, but the Price He Put on My Independence Was Something I Never Expected
Part 14 of 20
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