go.
Libby was reeling from the overwhelming feeling of acceptance when Gracie turned to Sammy. She could see Gracie Holt’s nervousness, but gave her credit for maintaining a calm in the face of such an emotional moment.
“Hi, Sammy. My name is Gracie Holt. Your daddy was my little boy, so that makes you my grandson and me your grandmother, right?”
Sammy nodded.
“Do you think I might give you a hug?” she asked.
Sammy grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
As Gracie hugged him, she said, “I’ve been wanting a grandson for the longest time and didn’t know I already had one. So, do you think you might like to call me Grandma?”
“Yeah!” Sammy said, and began to unload everything he’d been thinking. “Now I have a grandma just like Pete. You’ll like, Pete, Grandma. He and his brother Charlie live with their grandma. They call her Grandmabut I call her Grandma Kate, ’cause she’s a grandma, only she’s not mine. And it’s not polite to call your elmers by their first name. I think you two would be friends because you both have gray hair and like little boys.”
“Elders,” Libby said, while trying not to laugh. “It’s not elmers, it’s elders.”
“Oh, yeah. Right,” Sammy said.
“I can’t wait to meet Pete and Charlie…and Grandma Kate,” Gracie said.
“I knew that’s what you’d say,” Sammy said.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Libby said. “With Sam’s help, dinner is ready.”
“I’m hungry and happy and feel like I’m walking on air,” Gracie said. “And…I have a car full of presents. One for every birthday and Christmas I’ve missed in both your lives.” Then she handed the car keys to Sam. “Maybe you and Sammy could carry them in while I go wash up. They’re in the trunk.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sam said.
Sammy frowned. “Wait, Daddy. You’re not supposed to call her ma’am, remember?”
Sam laughed as he ruffled Sammy’s hair. “Come on. Let’s go carry in those presents while I explain the reasons for when you say ma’am, and when you don’t.”
“Okay,” Sammy said. He was still talking when Gracie and Libby went inside.
Immediately, Gracie hugged Libby again, then cupped her face. “Honey, I have to tell you this while we have a few moments alone. I won’t delve into whatever was between you and Sam that made you deal with all this on your own, but I’m sorry you didn’t feel comfortable enough with me, either, to have let me help.”
Once more, Libby felt sideswiped by the love. “I know I made mistakes,” Libby said. “And truthfully, most of ithad to do with always having been on my own. I didn’t know how to share my feelings, whether they were troubled or painful. Having Sammy has changed a lot of that. Growing up did the rest.”
Gracie sighed, and then nodded. “Enough said. So, point me to the bathroom. I’m thinking we’re going to eat the fastest meal on record, or open presents first. It’s your call.”
Libby grinned. “The food will keep. I doubt if we could say the same for Sammy if I asked him to wait until after dinner. Bathroom is down the hall on the left. We will wait for you to get back.”
T HE LIVING ROOM FLOOR was littered with bits of wrapping paper, ribbon and presents. The laughter coming from the kitchen was evidence of the joy within Libby Farraday’s small house. A little boy’s promise made to his mother in hopes of keeping her alive had changed three people’s worlds forever.
That night when Libby put Sammy to bed, he slept with the present his grandma had given him for his first birthday—a black-and-white stuffed panda. The rest of his gifts were scattered around the room, including what had been deemed a “cool” Lava Lamp that continually “burped” red and black blobs and a Star Wars poster.
After reading Sammy his good-night story, Sam and Gracie left to get her settled in at the motel. Libby walked through the house, picking up bits of wrapping paper and making sure everything was
Libby was reeling from the overwhelming feeling of acceptance when Gracie turned to Sammy. She could see Gracie Holt’s nervousness, but gave her credit for maintaining a calm in the face of such an emotional moment.
“Hi, Sammy. My name is Gracie Holt. Your daddy was my little boy, so that makes you my grandson and me your grandmother, right?”
Sammy nodded.
“Do you think I might give you a hug?” she asked.
Sammy grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
As Gracie hugged him, she said, “I’ve been wanting a grandson for the longest time and didn’t know I already had one. So, do you think you might like to call me Grandma?”
“Yeah!” Sammy said, and began to unload everything he’d been thinking. “Now I have a grandma just like Pete. You’ll like, Pete, Grandma. He and his brother Charlie live with their grandma. They call her Grandmabut I call her Grandma Kate, ’cause she’s a grandma, only she’s not mine. And it’s not polite to call your elmers by their first name. I think you two would be friends because you both have gray hair and like little boys.”
“Elders,” Libby said, while trying not to laugh. “It’s not elmers, it’s elders.”
“Oh, yeah. Right,” Sammy said.
“I can’t wait to meet Pete and Charlie…and Grandma Kate,” Gracie said.
“I knew that’s what you’d say,” Sammy said.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Libby said. “With Sam’s help, dinner is ready.”
“I’m hungry and happy and feel like I’m walking on air,” Gracie said. “And…I have a car full of presents. One for every birthday and Christmas I’ve missed in both your lives.” Then she handed the car keys to Sam. “Maybe you and Sammy could carry them in while I go wash up. They’re in the trunk.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sam said.
Sammy frowned. “Wait, Daddy. You’re not supposed to call her ma’am, remember?”
Sam laughed as he ruffled Sammy’s hair. “Come on. Let’s go carry in those presents while I explain the reasons for when you say ma’am, and when you don’t.”
“Okay,” Sammy said. He was still talking when Gracie and Libby went inside.
Immediately, Gracie hugged Libby again, then cupped her face. “Honey, I have to tell you this while we have a few moments alone. I won’t delve into whatever was between you and Sam that made you deal with all this on your own, but I’m sorry you didn’t feel comfortable enough with me, either, to have let me help.”
Once more, Libby felt sideswiped by the love. “I know I made mistakes,” Libby said. “And truthfully, most of ithad to do with always having been on my own. I didn’t know how to share my feelings, whether they were troubled or painful. Having Sammy has changed a lot of that. Growing up did the rest.”
Gracie sighed, and then nodded. “Enough said. So, point me to the bathroom. I’m thinking we’re going to eat the fastest meal on record, or open presents first. It’s your call.”
Libby grinned. “The food will keep. I doubt if we could say the same for Sammy if I asked him to wait until after dinner. Bathroom is down the hall on the left. We will wait for you to get back.”
T HE LIVING ROOM FLOOR was littered with bits of wrapping paper, ribbon and presents. The laughter coming from the kitchen was evidence of the joy within Libby Farraday’s small house. A little boy’s promise made to his mother in hopes of keeping her alive had changed three people’s worlds forever.
That night when Libby put Sammy to bed, he slept with the present his grandma had given him for his first birthday—a black-and-white stuffed panda. The rest of his gifts were scattered around the room, including what had been deemed a “cool” Lava Lamp that continually “burped” red and black blobs and a Star Wars poster.
After reading Sammy his good-night story, Sam and Gracie left to get her settled in at the motel. Libby walked through the house, picking up bits of wrapping paper and making sure everything was
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