Chapter 8

Lily

The ride home that afternoon was brutal. I should have left earlier but the prospect of spending time with Alex was too good to pass up. The pleading in his eyes did me in.

Throughout our session, I knew he started to understand what Professor Tarrington taught us in class. Our professor was a bit dry which was why I had to work hard with other reference books to fully understand everything. I hoped with the tools I handed over to Alex that he would be able to figure it out on his own. I didn’t want him to completely rely on me to help him all the time since I wouldn’t be able to take the final exam for him. I did want him to pass so he wouldn’t think I wasted his time and took advantage either.

The two-hour trek turned into almost three, and by the time I pulled up the driveway, my tense shoulders were nearly to my ears.

I looked forward to sitting down with Grandma’s famous tea and cookies. Since I told her I was coming home today, I knew she’d have a fresh batch waiting for me. For the entire semester, she kept telling me I was too thin and insisted I ate my weights worth of sweets when I was home to fatten me up. I didn’t argue with her at all.

Attempting to push the front door open, I was met with resistance from the other side.

“Grandma?” I called through the crack in the doorway. I pressed my shoulder against it as I pushed again. My mind immediately went to the worst case scenario as I imagined Grandma on the floor behind the door.

My temperature spiked. “Grandma!”

“Hold on!” she called from inside the house.

I let out a sigh as my heart fell back into its normal rhythm. Something slid across the floor, and the door opened quickly.

I stepped over the threshold to take in the sight in front of me. Labeled boxes were piled all over the place.

“Grandma?” I asked, turning to her.

Her blue eyes met mine as if she were waiting for me to put everything together. She fluffed the top of her white hair but said nothing.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s quite obvious, isn’t it?” she said.

Her insistence on answering most of my questions with more questions was an annoyance when I was a kid. It became endearing as a teen because she was the only family I had left after my parents died. She only did it when I already knew the answer, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around it at all.

“You’re moving?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said with a broad smile. “To an assisted living facility.”

“Why?” I asked. “Is something wrong? Are you sick?”

“Not exactly,” she said.

“What does that mean?” I pressed.

“I’m old, Lily,” she said matter-of-factly. “I can’t properly care for a house by myself anymore.”

I winced. She never had these issues when I was at home. Were there signs I should have seen when I came home last? I was just home for Thanksgiving, and everything seemed okay. Was her health worse than she led on?

“I can take a year off from school,” I said. “I’ll come home and help you. I’m sure I can find some community college courses to take.”

“You've sacrificed enough in your life to take care of me,” Grandma said. “I’m actually looking forward to leaving.”

“You are? But my dad and me were raised here. You want to let go of those memories?”

“I have photo albums, and I’m sure you can make an online one for me to look at if I ever learn how to use that blasted thing. Where I’m going, I don’t have to cook anymore, and the apartment is much smaller. More manageable for someone like me.”

When I thought of those homes, I always imagined people in wheelchairs and those who were very ill. Grandma still had her wits about her. Would that change once she went there?

“They also have an athletic facility with a walkers club,” she said as if she knew what I was thinking. Who was I kidding? She was practically a mind-reader on her worst day. That didn’t ease my mind about her leaving.

“But where will I go on school breaks?” I asked.

She took my hands in hers. They were cool as always, but right now they felt cold and so did my heart. “I’m sure you can stay on campus. Socialize more. It will be good for you. I won’t be leaving until after the New Year when the new owners come in so we can have one more Christmas here if you'd like.”

“I would like that,” I said, blinking hard. I knew she didn’t tell me her plan because I would have fought her each step of the way. She already had someone else moving into my home, so this was a long time coming. Even though I hated surprises, she knew me well enough that it had to be behind my back.

“What can I do to help?” I asked her. There was nothing left for me to do except roll with her decision.

Later that night, I laid awake in bed staring at my ceiling. There were a few small star stickers that glowed from the ceiling where I placed them when I was ten. There were so many memories in this house, how was I ever going to say goodbye in a month?

I turned over, trying to get comfortable when my phone rang. I sat up. It was almost nine-thirty, who would call me now? Grandma had already been in bed for an hour, so I scrambled across the room to grab my phone from my purse.

“Hello?” I said into the phone without looking at the screen. What did Amber need this late? She rarely called me at all, she always texted. I hoped she didn't’ need me. I told her I was leaving—

“Lily,” Alex’s voice said from the other end of the line.

“Alex?”

“Yeah, I need help with the last part of the assignment. It took me some time, but I think I'm starting to get it—”

“This isn’t a good time,” I said, unable to concentrate on school right now after finding out about Grandma moving. “Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Sure, I guess,” he said.

I pulled the phone from my ear, but he said something else. “What was that?”

“Are you okay?” He asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I’m fine.” He was sweet to ask, but I was not in the mood to talk to anyone about anything right then. “I have to go.”

I hung up the phone and turned it off, shoving it back into my purse.

I flopped onto the bed and squeezed my eyes closed, willing myself to clear my mind and get some rest.

The next morning, I felt a little better about the move. I wasn’t happy about it at all, but Grandma showed me the website for the place, and it looked more like a community than a facility. That eased my mind a little.

“They have activities scheduled all the time, so I won’t be bored,” she said, fluffing a pan of scrambled eggs with a spatula. “I think I'm going to start knitting again and finally finish that scarf I started last year.”

It was more like three years ago, but I didn’t correct her. For eighty-seven, she was sharp as a whip. She was getting older though and having people look after her eased my mind. I’d have to make more trips back home even though that would cut into my study time. I wanted her to know that I would still be in her life no matter where she lived.

Two slices of toast popped up from the toaster and I buttered them. The kitchen smelled amazing. The eggs were fluffy and yellow, definitely different from the tray of them from the cafeteria that was served each morning.

Heat pricked my eyes. Things were changing all over the place, and I wasn’t sure if I could take it all around Christmas. Would every year be a reminder of what I lost? In a way, it was as if I were losing my parents all over again.

I plated our food and brought it over to the table.

I glanced up, hearing a banging out front.

“Was that the door?” Grandma asked.

“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked. I feared that the moving company got the date wrong and we were going to have to pack up our lives today.

“No,” she said, settling down in her chair.

“I’ll get it,” I said and left the room. I peeked through the window next to the door and came face to face with Alex.

I stood up straight, jumping back from the glass.

I slowly opened the door. Was this really happening? How?

“Alex?” I asked, afraid I was hallucinating from lack of sleep.

He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a tight pale blue t-shirt that showed off his amazing body.

“I got your address from the student directory,” he said.

“But, why?” I blurted out.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Last night I could tell something was wrong, so I wanted to see you.”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. I was elated to see him, as I was every time he was nearby, and it helped that he was concerned for me, but why? We only started talking two days ago, what was his motivation for traveling two hours to check in on me?

“You must be worried about failing class to come out here,” I said, trying to make light of the strange situation.

He chuckled. “I would like my tutor’s mental state to be intact in order to help me.”

My chest deflated. I wasn’t sure why I thought there might be something more between us. He clearly needed me for my brain and nothing else.

If that was the case, he might as well go home. I told him that I wasn’t able to help until later in the week. It would serve him right for showing up unannounced.

Grandma came in from the other room struggling to carry a box.

“Stop,” I said, rushing toward her. I didn’t need her in the hospital with broken bones. “I’ll get—”

Alex appeared at my side and grabbed the box before I could.

“What a gentleman,” she said, preening.

I narrowed my eyes. We were just about to sit down for breakfast. She couldn’t wait a few minutes for me to come back?

“Where are you going with this?” He asked.

“The garage, just through the kitchen,” she said. “I’m Joan by the way.”

“Alex,” he said with that sexy grin of his.

When he was out of the room, I turned to her. “What was that about?”

“A handsome, strong boy comes into my house he’s going to get to work.”

I clamped a hand over my mouth, stifling a laugh. “I wanted him to leave.”

“Don’t be rude, Lily. Now make him a plate of food. He’s going to need his strength.”

Alex and Grandma talked over breakfast, barely allowing me one word. I watched the two of them. Her eyes were bright, and they crinkled at the corners as she probed him for information about his life. I took in as much as I could. He was so polite to her even though she wanted him to help with moving all the boxes out of the house and into the garage. He said he didn’t mind, but I knew that’s not why he came here.

While he didn't have to do anything for us, his pleasant attitude warmed my heart, and I couldn’t help that my crush on him turned into so much more in such little time. I was in trouble.