Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Um-hmm.”
“Grangran and Papa are going to be so happy to see you.”
He nodded, then stretched before unbuckling his seatbelt. He wiped the sleep from his eyes, then stretched once more as he said, “Maybe they have ice cream.”
“I’m sure they do.”
I opened my door, then walked around to the back and opened his. Once he was out, I closed the door, and we started up the front steps. We hadn’t gotten far when my mother appeared with a big smile.
"There you two are!" Mom scooped Dalton up into a big hug. "Look how much you've grown since the last time I saw you."
“I’m four now.” He giggled as he hugged her back. "I missed you, Grangran."
"I missed you too, sweetie. And guess what? We have a surprise for you."
His eyes widened. "Ice cream?"
"No, something even better.” She motioned us forward as she said, “Come on inside and see for yourself."
Curious, we followed her into the house.
It was familiar, with the same old furniture, the same pictures on the walls, and blankets laid across the recliners. While I still smelled the comforting scent of my childhood, there was something new about it, too. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I spotted her—a beautiful golden retriever puppy with a pink collar and wagging tail. “Mom, what did you do?”
“We have a new member of the family.”
My mother had always been a remarkable woman. She was in her late fifties but always managed to look much younger. She was beautiful and tall, strong inside and out, and she was my best friend. We talked every day, sharing the tidbits of our day, and I took great comfort in the fact that she was just a phone call away. It made me feel closer to home, and with the craziness in my life, I needed that. I needed it more than I could describe.
I looked over at her, noting the smile on her face, and my heart swelled in my chest. It never failed to amaze me how she always knew exactly what our family needed. She was practically beaming as she told us, “Meet Daisy.”
Dalton’s face lit up as he sat down on the floor next to Daisy, hugging and loving on her like she was his new best friend. Clearly pleased with the attention, Daisy wagged her tail even harder and started licking Dalton in the face, making him giggle with delight.
Seeing them together made me realize how much I’d missed having a dog around. Daisy was just a puppy, but I could already see the potential for a lifetime of love and companionship. I looked over to Mom and smiled as I told her, “Mom, she’s beautiful.”
As if on cue, my father entered the room just as Mom said, “She was your father’s idea.”
“I thought she might tempt you two into coming to see us more often.” A smile swept across his face as he walked over and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. “What can I say? I miss my daughter and only grandson.”
“Only grandson for now,” Joseph interjected. “That might change very soon.”
“What? Kate is pregnant?”
“Yeah, about six months along now.”
“Oh, Joseph!” I rushed over and gave him a hug. Joseph and Katie had been trying to conceive for years, and after several heartbreaking failed attempts, they’d all but stopped trying. Needless to say, I was shocked to hear that Katie was not only pregnant but six months along. “Congratulations! I had no idea!”
“Katie wanted to keep it kind of quiet until we knew the baby was okay.”
“And everything’s good?”
“So far so good.” Joseph couldn’t have looked more pleased as he said, “We had an ultrasound last week, and he looks perfect. His heartbeat is strong, and he has all his little fingers and toes.”
“Oh, Joe. That’s so good to hear. I know you both must be thrilled.”
“We really are. Even though it came as a surprise. I just took a big promotion at work, and Katie has two huge projects that she’ll be working on for the next year or so.” He looked over to Mom as he said, “Thankfully, we’ll have the best sitter in town.”
“Mom’s going to babysit for you?”
“That’s the plan.”
My throat tightened with an unwelcomed jealousy. I hadn’t wanted anyone in town to see that I was pregnant and tell Malcomb, so I left soon after we broke up. I took the scholarship and went off to college, but after one very long semester, I decided to move to Seattle where I would be closer to my folks.
I found an apartment near campus and started the summer session, thinking it would give me a jump on things. And it did. I was able to get settled and prepare for Dalton’s arrival, but I did that all alone.
Mom was there when he was born. Dad, too. But they were only able to stay for a week or so, and then, they had to get back to work. They came and visited as often as they could, but as time passed, those visits became less and less frequent. Dalton spent his days at the campus daycare, and when he got old enough, he started at the local preschool. While that was fine and he was well taken care of, it wasn’t Mom.