AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A smile appeared on her lips as she dipped her chin in a nod. “What’s her name?”
“Dini. It’s short for Houdini, because she’s an escape artist.”
Her smile widened, and something broke open in my chest. It was as if a dam burst, and I was flooded with an emotion I couldn’t name. I was trying to pull my shit together when her eyes narrowed slightly, and she tilted her head to the side.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
Remember her? No. But how could I have possibly forgotten her?
“I’m Daphne. I spent a few summers here when I was young. Like really young. The last time I was here was when I was ten; it was the summer of the flash flood.”
“Daphne, right?” I only knew that was her name because Weston had said so. To be honest, I didn’t remember her visit.But then again, the summer of the flood was the summer I lost my dad. That time in my life was a little bit of a blur.
She smiled wider. “And you’re Harlan.”
“I am.”
Grandad’s cane thudded in the hallway behind me, and I knew that he was approaching the door. “Is it those damn developers?! Tell them they can take their deal and stick it where the sun don’t shine!”
“No, it’s not the developers. It’s Mrs. Moore’s granddaughter, Daphne. Daphne, this is?—"
“Holy Moses!” Grandad shouldered his way past me and stepped onto the porch. He clutched his chest as he stood in front of Daphne. “You are the spitting image of Estelle. I feel like I’ve just stepped into a time machine.”
Daphne smiled, clearly happy with the comparison to her grandmother.
Grandad continued to stare at her for so long it was starting to get uncomfortable, so I said, “Well, thanks for bringing Dini hom?—"
“You know, when I was a boy, I had a crush on your grandmother,” Grandad interrupted me. “I was sweet on herlongbefore your grandfather came into the picture.”
That was news to me. I knew that Grandad was sad when Mrs. Moore passed, but I just figured it was because they’d lived next door to each other for so long, and it was so close to when we lost Meemaw.
“I remember the first time I saw her, I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I thought she was the prettiest thing this side of the Mississippi.”
“Shewasbeautiful.” Daphne smiled sweetly. “She’s actually the reason I’m in town. She’s being honored tonight at the?—"
“Oh, I know! I wouldn’t miss it! Got my suit all laid out and everything,” he beamed proudly.
Well, that was a one-eighty.
“Oh good, well…” Daphne looked between my grandad and me. “I guess I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you tonight.” I lifted my hand in a wave.
Grandad and I watched Daphne walk back next door. I tried to keep my eyes from dipping to the sway of her hips, but I was only human. When she was out of sight, Grandad turned to head back into the house.
“You never told me that you had a thing for Mrs. Moore.”
“Well, it was before I met your meemaw,” he responded in his trademark surliness as he pushed past me. As he did, I noticed that tears had pooled in his lower lids. Grandad lifted his hand and wiped beneath his eyes as he sniffed.
In all my thirty-one years, I’d never seen my grandad cry.
“I miss her, too.” Grandad didn’t talk about Meemaw often, so I figured the conversation was over, and I was surprised when he paused at the end of the hall.
“I loved your meemaw somethin’ fierce. I didn’t tell her enough. But I tell you what, son; if I had it all to do over again, I’d tell her every day what she meant to me. When you love someone, keeping it to yourself doesn’t do anyone any good.”
With that pearl of wisdom dropped, he continued on down the hall. I stared after him in shock for two reasons. First, my grandad never talked about his feelings, so hearing him say that he missed Meemaw and wished he’d told her he loved her more, was new to me. And two, before Meemaw, he’d had a thing for Mrs. Moore. And I had a feeling history was about to repeat itself.
5
