Page 28 of Harts & Hurts

My mom took Melrose from her car seat and cradled the baby on her lap.

“Be careful, Mom. She hasn’t been changed since we left Jackson Island. She’s probably full of urine.”

“Hand me the baby bag, I’ll take her in the back and change her.” She gingerly touched Melrose’s left earlobe. Melrose slightly pulled her head away, but she didn’t cry or even whine. “Would you look at this?” my mother commented. “Her little ears are still swollen. The earrings are cute. And I have to admit that, back in my day, a lot of mothers didn’t let their baby girls leave the hospital after birth without their ears pierced.

“But Ashlynn and Fisher didn’t make that decision, and neither did you and Griffin. So that wasn’t her decision to make. She should’ve gotten somebody’s permission before she took it upon herself to do that.” My mother scooped up the baby bag and left the room.

“You guys want something to drink?” Anthony asked. “You’ve been on the road for hours, Ani. You want something? I know you said you were hungry. I ordered Italian from this place I love up the street.”

“I can wait for the food to arrive. I just need to use the bathroom.” I stood from the sofa, grabbed my purse, and headed to the bathroom. After relieving myself, I washed my hands and used a paper towel to wipe my face down. Once that was done, I took out my phone and called Griffin. “I’m sorry,” I said as soon as he answered.

I heard him give a sigh of relief. “What happened? What did my mother say to you? I know she said something.”

I felt myself getting choked up. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional about this,” I lied, then corrected myself because if there was anybody that I needed to be honest and open with, it was Griffin. “Actually, I do know why I’m so emotional about it. Did your mother tell you that she got Melrose’s ears pierced while they were together?”

“She what?”

“She showed up like three hours after you told me to expect her. I was so relieved to see them after being nervous about their whereabouts. I opened the door to greet them. Melrose was whimpering and acting like she was trying to escape from your mother’s arms. When I realized that her ears were pierced, I was pissed.”

“I would’ve been pissed too.”

“I don’t know what I said to your mother, but I’m sure it wasn’t polite. Not that she was polite to me either.”

“I figured she wasn’t.” He sighed. “I figured that was why you left.”

“No.” It was my turn to sigh. “I left because I was so pissed that I knew things were gonna go left. I asked her and your sister to leave. She wasn’t apologetic about getting Melrose’s ears pierced without our permission. She wasn’t regretful. She felt like she was well within her grandmotherly rights, and your sister agreed. So I asked them to leave. They refused. Your mother told me that it was her son’s house, and I was the guest. Basically, if anybody was leaving, it was me. So, I got my niece, got our stuff, and left. I don’t stay nowhere I’m not wanted. I⁠—”

He cut me off. “Calm down, killer. Don’t get pissed all over again. I’m on your side. First of all, my mother was wrong as hell for getting something permanent done to Melrose without our permission. We’re her guardians. Anything about her needs to go through us, . . . at least one of us. For her to make an arbitrary decision, then dismiss your feelings was fucked up. Second of all, this is your damn place of residence. You get mail at this guesthouse. This is where you rest your—” He stopped talking. “Where are y’all at, Anistyn?”

“We’re in Virginia Shores with Anthony. But I feel like you already knew that.”

“He told me y’all were headed toward him.”

My mother knocked on the bathroom door. I opened it to find her standing there, holding a wide-awake Melrose. “I know you planned to sleep here tonight. Anthony told me that he got the guest room ready for y’all. But I would really feel better if you all came to the house. I just want to keep an eye on my Melrosey Posey at least for this first night with the earrings. Make sure that she doesn’t spike a fever or have an adverse reaction.”

“Is that a possibility?” Griffin questioned, apparently having heard my mother through the phone.

“Is that a possibility?” I repeated.

“It’s uncommon for them to have an adverse reaction. But it’s not uncommon for them to spike a fever or have bouts of discomfort.” She waved her hands. “I know you guys have a nurse or whatever, but she’s not here, and I am. I would like to make sure that her first night with earrings goes well. After that, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

I wanted to immediately take my mother up on her offer. She was a seasoned mother who knew what she was doing. I was a newbie aunt who had no clue what she was doing most of the time, but I couldn’t just say yes. “Is that okay with you, Griff?”

“Yeah. I’m cool with that idea as long as your parents are cool with me sleeping at their house. I don’t like the idea of sleeping apart from y’all.”

I didn’t expect him to say that, but I understood. I wouldn’t want to be at the house by myself while he and Melrose were away either. “But it’s almost seven at night.”

“Right. So if I leave right now, I’ll be there by ten.”

I turned to my mother. “Mom, Griff’s driving up here. He’ll need to stay at the house.” I watched her face to see if she would give any indication of her being uncomfortable with the thought of a Hart staying at the house.

“I’ll get both guest rooms ready. Ask Griffin if he’ll be hungry when he gets here. I’ll put a plate together for him and leave it in the microwave.”

I kept my smile to myself, but my mother’s response made my heart feel light. “Start heading this way,” I told my co-guardian.

13

Griffin