CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next morning, Hailey was jolted awake by loud voices arguing in the living room. She hurriedly put on her robe and rushed down the hall.

A shirtless man wearing a leather vest and black leather pants stood face-to-face with Regina, who was wearing a large, neon pink nightshirt. His mousy-brown ponytail swung as he spoke. “I want you to come home with me. I’ve been lookin’ all over for you,” he said with a rough voice.

“I told ya, it’s over. I ain’t coming back.” Regina looked over at Hailey. “You mind? This is private.”

“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t sure what was going on. You woke me up,” Hailey said, hoping for an apology, but not expecting one.

Regina glared at her. “Never you mind what’s going on here.”

Hailey spotted her grandparents in the kitchen. “Don’t you think you should take this outside so you don’t upset—”

“This is none of your business.” Regina jerked out her chin. “And I will talk to Phil wherever I please.”

Regina was too much. She had no respect for anyone, not even her own aging parents. Hailey wanted to yell at her to stop being so selfish. Instead, Hailey clenched her jaw then said, “I don’t think—”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t,” Regina said, cutting her off.

The man took a step closer to Regina. “Come on home, baby. I miss you.”

Regina recoiled. “Don’t touch me.”

“I’m not leaving,” he said with defiance.

“Oh, yes you are.” Regina pointed at him.

He outstretched his arms. “I love you, baby.”

“Love? Ha. That’s a big joke,” Regina shouted, then pushed him.

This was getting worse by the second. Hailey wanted them both to leave, but she knew she had no power to make them. She walked over to her grandparents, who were seated at the table. Maybe she could distract them, even shield them, from the drama going on a few feet away in the living room.

“Can I get you some breakfast?” Hailey asked with a painted-on smile.

Gran said nothing. Gramps was breathing hard as if he were summoning up enough strength to deal with Regina and her ex-whatever.

“I can make some eggs. Or waffles. I love waffles. I can add some chocolate chips.” Hailey tried to sound upbeat despite the dark, angry energy that hung in the air.

Gran shook her head and cast her glance toward the ground. She seemed so defeated. Sad. Gramps, on the other hand, had fire in his eyes. If Hailey had to guess, he wanted to literally kick the guy out of the house. How long would they have to cower in the kitchen while Regina had it out with the lovesick loser?

“Look, Phil, it’s been over for a while.”

“I’m willing to do whatever you want, Genie.”

He sounded pathetic as he kowtowed to Regina.

“Nah. I’m done. I told you if you didn’t give up gambling and spending all the money, I was outta there.”

Hailey wanted to protect Gran and Gramps from all this ugliness, but she had no idea how. She sat next to Gran and placed her hand on Gran’s.

“I’m not gambling anymore, baby.”

“Liar. All men are liars,” Regina spat out. “Get outta this house and don’t never come back.”

Phil let out a grunt, then stomped out of the house, cursing as he left.

“Good riddance,” Regina bellowed after him. She marched down the hallway back to her room and slammed her door, making Hailey jump.

For several minutes, Gran, Gramps, and Hailey sat around the table and said nothing. Finally, Gran said, “Where did I go wrong with Regina? How did I fail her?”

Hailey put her arm around her fragile grandmother.

“Regina was my sweet little angel girl with ringlets. She used to follow me around the house and tell me how much she loved me. She’d help me with the housework and tell me how much she wanted to grow up and be a mommy and have her own babies. What happened to that little girl?” Gran cradled her face in her hands.

Gramps let out an audible sigh.

Gran sat back with a crestfallen expression. “We gave her everything. And she went off to college and was never the same. She got involved with drugs and has gone from one man to the next since then. We tried to reason with her, but she refused to listen. One of these days I’ll get that dreaded phone call that she’s dead in an alley somewhere.” Gran began to cry.

Hailey hugged Gran tightly, wishing she could say or do something to take the pain away. Regina was so self-centered. She refused to see what her choices were doing to her parents. “I wish I could do something.”

Gran wiped at her eyes. “I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do. If your dad was still alive, maybe things would be different. He and Regina were close.” Gran flicked a tear from her cheek. “I miss him.”

“I do too.” Even though time had dulled the pain, Hailey still ached for her father. Not a day went by that she didn’t miss him or wonder what it would be like if he were still alive.

Gran stood. “I need to go splash some water on my face.”

After Gran left, Gramps blurted out, “I’m mad.”

Hailey looked at him with mixed emotions. She felt bad that he was mad, but elated that he’d spoken a short sentence. “Gramps!”

“I’m mad,” he said again as he shook his fist.

“Can you tell me why you’re mad?” She wanted to prod him to say more.

Gramps uttered some more nonsensical sounds. His eyes pleaded with Hailey to understand, but she didn’t. Her heart hurt. She wanted Gramps to speak more than anything.

“You’re mad at Regina?” she guessed.

Gramps nodded.

“Because she was yelling at that guy?” That seemed the obvious answer.

Gramps shook his head.

Hailey searched her mind for another reason. “Because she’s made a mess of things?”

Gramps drew his brows together and shook his head again. He pointed at Hailey.

“You’re mad at me?” I should’ve handled the situation differently. Now I’ve upset Gramps.

Gramps rested his face in his hand, then pointed at Hailey again. “I’m mad,” he said again. “She was . . . m-m-mean.”

Hailey studied Gramps. “Because Regina was rude to me?”

Gramps’s eyes lit up and he nodded, his body language communicating relief that Hailey understood him.

So that she clearly understood him, she said, “You’re mad at Regina for how she treated me?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Gramps.” She slung her arms around his neck. “It’s okay.”

“No.”

Hailey peered at Gramps, tears brimming. “I can handle Regina. Don’t you worry about it.” She grabbed his hand. “In fact, I’m happy this happened.”

Gramps gave her a puzzled look.

“It got you talking and we had a real conversation. That is huge progress.” She could barely contain her exuberance.

Gran came back into the kitchen. “What’s going on?” She glanced between Hailey and Gramps.

“We had a conversation,” Hailey sang out, her feet dancing under the table.

“Who?” Gran wrinkled her forehead.

Hailey leaned her head toward Gramps. “The two of us.”

“You did?” Gran clasped her hands together.

“He’s going to be talking up a storm in no time.” Hailey hadn’t felt this hopeful since the stroke.

“From your lips, Hailey, from your lips,” Gran said, hugging herself.

***

Late that afternoon, Hailey picked through her clothes trying to decide what to wear on her dinner date. Regina had lumbered out of the house earlier without a word and had ridden away on her motorcycle. Her aunt was a master at the disappearing act.

“May I come in?” Gran asked as she knocked.

“Sure. I can’t figure out what to wear and Darren will be here in an hour.” She grabbed a pink print shirt and held it up to her chest before tossing it on the bed.

“You always look so pretty in that white skirt and lavender blouse.”

“I think that’s too dressy.” Hailey rummaged through another few shirts. “I don’t want to give him the wrong impression.”

“That you like him?” Gran crinkled her nose.

“Yeah, I don’t want him to think I do.”

Gran shook her head. “My lands, girl, isn’t that why you date? Because you like the young man who asked, or at least are interested in him?”

“Yes, but . . . it’s complicated these days.”

“I guess so.” Gran sat on the bed. “I remember my first date with your grandpa.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me about it.” Hailey sat next to Gran, eager to listen to the story.

“It was 1955, and I was only eighteen.”

“That’s young.” It was hard to imagine Gran as a teenage girl. She’d always been so Gran-ish.

A smile spread across Gran’s face. “I met him at a community dance. He’d come with his cousin, Clyde. He was older, already out of high school, and I was about to graduate.” Gran paused. “He had this thick, dark hair that was slicked back. He asked me to dance and the moment his hand touched mine, it made my heart go pitter-pat.”

Hailey watched Gran as she recalled the memory and seemed to be lost in a time far gone.

“I’d been dating this handsome boy, Bill, during our senior year. He was on the football team, and he lived a few streets over from me. Everyone, and I mean everyone, thought we’d get married. He was supposed to be at the dance that night, but had to work at the last minute. My friend, Betty, insisted I go with her, so I did.” Gran let out a long breath. “The moment I laid eyes on Harry, I was smitten. He asked me to dance and I accepted. Oh, my, Harry was such a smooth dancer.” Gran rested her hand across her chest. “We danced to several songs and then went outside and talked. It was such a clear night. The stars were so bright, and the moon was almost full. As Harry talked, I felt like I was falling under a spell. He asked me for a date, and I said yes.” Her mouth curled up.

Hailey blinked. “What about Bill?”

“I didn’t care.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I only wanted to spend time with Harry.”

Hailey studied her grandmother, whose face almost seemed to have transformed into that young girl in love. “Where did you go on your date?” Hailey asked, mesmerized by her grandmother’s recollection.

“He took me to dinner and we were supposed to go to a show, but we ended up talking instead.” She laughed. “Even back then he told the silliest jokes. And puns. Oh, that man and his puns.”

Hailey rested her head on Gran’s shoulder.

“From that night on we were inseparable. My folks thought I was too young, but all I wanted to do was marry him. So I did.” Her voice cracked. “And here we are all these years later, and I love him even more.” She looked at Hailey. “Maybe it will be the same for you.”

Hailey waved her hand because she definitely wasn’t looking for love. “I don’t know about that, but I think it will be fun to go out tonight.”

“And maybe it will help you forget about your ex-boyfriend . . . what’s his name?”

“Yes.” Hailey nodded with a smile. “What’s-his-name.”