sick.”
“She’s not the only one. And we should thank the Lord—and Adam, too. He’s the one who called me,” Grace Granston explained to her daughter.
“I didn’t want him to—I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Nonsense, worrying is what mothers do best. Three kids of your own, Angela…don’t you know that by now?”
“I suppose, but—”
“But, nothing. When you need help, you call me. That’s an order,” Grace said. “Did you know thatyour Adam stayed with the children while I took you to the E.R.?”
“Mom, he’s not ‘my’ Adam.”
“He could be,” Grace answered with confidence. “I like him, Angela. Very much. How are you feeling now that your fever has broken?”
“Better. Different,” she said. “I felt so disoriented last night.”
“It’s no wonder, as high as your temperature soared. Heather wasn’t half as sick as you were. Her fever started going down before I even got here. This twenty-four-hour virus hits hard but leaves fast, and that’s the only good thing that could be said about it,” Grace said. “I’ll get you something to drink.”
“No juice, please. My throat feels horrible.”
Grace nodded her head, disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a jumbo-size glass of crushed ice and tea. “This ought to taste pretty good.”
“Thank you,” Angela responded and took a large swallow of the cold liquid. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I guess you’d need to rely on Adam more,” Grace answered without hesitation as she leaned over and straightened Angela’s blanket. “Have you realized you’re in love with him yet?”
“Definitely, completely,” Angela said between sips of iced tea. “Hopelessly.”
“Have you told him?”
“No,” she said.
“You need to discuss that with him,” Grace answeredwith a smile and a pat on her daughter’s leg. “I don’t think you ought to let this man get away.”
“Since when do you interfere in your kid’s love life?”
“Interfere? With you? When did I have time to do that? You had little more than started dating Dan when you came home, crying and pregnant You were married and a parent before you even knew what a grown-up relationship could be.”
Angela sighed. “Mom—”
“Well, it’s true. You had no idea how special or loving or just plain fun the whole thing can be. And considering the way Dan treated you, I doubt that you do even to this day.” Grace sat down in a chair close to her daughter.
“Mom, why are we having this conversation? Dan’s gone—”
“We should have had talks like this all along,” Grace interrupted. “Even when you were very young. I don’t know why I thought that even without talking about things they would somehow turn out all right.” She paused. “Do you remember those books we gave you when you were about twelve?”
Angela thought for a second. “You mean those little books about the facts of life?”
“Exactly. I don’t know why I took the easy way out. I should have talked to you about that instead of letting you read about it.”
“Mom, why are we discussing this?”
“Because I want you to do a better job with Heather than I did with you.”
“Heather and I talk about everything.”
“Everything?”
“Well, no, not everything. Maybe not in depth. Not yet, at least. She’s only six years old.”
“Six isn’t what it used to be. Be more open with her than I was with you,” Grace suggested.
“Especially with the don’t-get-pregnant-and-embarrass-your-family part. Right?” The sting of the past sharpened her words.
“No, I was never concerned about gossip or any of that. The only person you hurt was yourself. That’s what broke my heart.” Grace gave a bittersweet smile. “That’s all I really cared about.”
Angela’s eyes misted with tears.
“I want you to do a better job with your kids than I did with mine. And I want to see you in a happy marriage. It’s your turn.”
“I’ll try.
“She’s not the only one. And we should thank the Lord—and Adam, too. He’s the one who called me,” Grace Granston explained to her daughter.
“I didn’t want him to—I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Nonsense, worrying is what mothers do best. Three kids of your own, Angela…don’t you know that by now?”
“I suppose, but—”
“But, nothing. When you need help, you call me. That’s an order,” Grace said. “Did you know thatyour Adam stayed with the children while I took you to the E.R.?”
“Mom, he’s not ‘my’ Adam.”
“He could be,” Grace answered with confidence. “I like him, Angela. Very much. How are you feeling now that your fever has broken?”
“Better. Different,” she said. “I felt so disoriented last night.”
“It’s no wonder, as high as your temperature soared. Heather wasn’t half as sick as you were. Her fever started going down before I even got here. This twenty-four-hour virus hits hard but leaves fast, and that’s the only good thing that could be said about it,” Grace said. “I’ll get you something to drink.”
“No juice, please. My throat feels horrible.”
Grace nodded her head, disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a jumbo-size glass of crushed ice and tea. “This ought to taste pretty good.”
“Thank you,” Angela responded and took a large swallow of the cold liquid. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I guess you’d need to rely on Adam more,” Grace answered without hesitation as she leaned over and straightened Angela’s blanket. “Have you realized you’re in love with him yet?”
“Definitely, completely,” Angela said between sips of iced tea. “Hopelessly.”
“Have you told him?”
“No,” she said.
“You need to discuss that with him,” Grace answeredwith a smile and a pat on her daughter’s leg. “I don’t think you ought to let this man get away.”
“Since when do you interfere in your kid’s love life?”
“Interfere? With you? When did I have time to do that? You had little more than started dating Dan when you came home, crying and pregnant You were married and a parent before you even knew what a grown-up relationship could be.”
Angela sighed. “Mom—”
“Well, it’s true. You had no idea how special or loving or just plain fun the whole thing can be. And considering the way Dan treated you, I doubt that you do even to this day.” Grace sat down in a chair close to her daughter.
“Mom, why are we having this conversation? Dan’s gone—”
“We should have had talks like this all along,” Grace interrupted. “Even when you were very young. I don’t know why I thought that even without talking about things they would somehow turn out all right.” She paused. “Do you remember those books we gave you when you were about twelve?”
Angela thought for a second. “You mean those little books about the facts of life?”
“Exactly. I don’t know why I took the easy way out. I should have talked to you about that instead of letting you read about it.”
“Mom, why are we discussing this?”
“Because I want you to do a better job with Heather than I did with you.”
“Heather and I talk about everything.”
“Everything?”
“Well, no, not everything. Maybe not in depth. Not yet, at least. She’s only six years old.”
“Six isn’t what it used to be. Be more open with her than I was with you,” Grace suggested.
“Especially with the don’t-get-pregnant-and-embarrass-your-family part. Right?” The sting of the past sharpened her words.
“No, I was never concerned about gossip or any of that. The only person you hurt was yourself. That’s what broke my heart.” Grace gave a bittersweet smile. “That’s all I really cared about.”
Angela’s eyes misted with tears.
“I want you to do a better job with your kids than I did with mine. And I want to see you in a happy marriage. It’s your turn.”
“I’ll try.
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