I laugh and hope it doesn’t sound too doubtful. “Where’s Howard?”
“Resting. He’s feeling under the weather lately. We both caught Violet’s cold a few weeks ago and he hasn’t been able to shake it. I’d like him to get checked out, but you know how men are.”
I’ve seen Gayle a handful of times since we’ve met. She’s never looked so frail and tired before. “We might be able to arrange a house call, if you’d like?” Do doctors even do that anymore? Regardless, there doesn’t seem to be much Henry can’t set up.
“Oh, that’s sweet of you, dear, but we’ll manage.” She toys with a corner of her blanket. “And where is Henry this weekend?”
“Los Angeles, but he’s flying to Pittsburgh to meet us at the hotel tonight.” We have a suite booked at the same Wolf where Henry and I reunited after my father’s accident.
“Gosh, that man travels a lot. He must be exhausted.”
“He works hard.”
She looks over her shoulder at Violet’s shut door. “Ever since she came back from that ski trip, it seems like he’s all she can talk about. Henry this and Henry that.”
“He’s a big fan of hers too. We both are.” Colorado felt like the start of something special. We spent three days skiing, eating, laughing, and while Henry was there to check on hotel operations, we had his undivided attention. A rarity.
Violet’s mood on the flight home was morose by comparison, but we didn’t hold it against her. She didn’t want the trip to end.
Gayle hesitates before asking, “You and Henry. Are you two planning on … having children?” She flinches, as if just hearing herself ask the question pains her because she doesn’t want to invade our privacy. So opposite to Mama.
“Yes, that is the plan.”
“Soon?”
“Sooner than later. After the wedding, though.” The topic hasn’t come up since Henry’s teasing on Christmas Eve, but each time I reach for a new package of birth control pills, I waffle over the idea of not opening it, of tossing them out.
Her eyebrows draw together. There’s something heavy on her mind.
“What’s wrong, Gayle?”
“Oh, nothing. We just worry about what will happen to Violet after we’re gone. We can’t help it, at our age. That’s what you do. You don’t worry about the inevitable. Instead, you worry about all your loved ones moving on with their lives when you’re no longer here, and you hope everything will be okay.” She chuckles softly. “And people move on. They have babies and get busy, they don’t see each other as often, that sort of thing.”
I think I see where Gayle’s thoughts are gathering. “Violet is a part of our family now and she will always be Henry’s daughter, no matter how many more children he has.”
Gayle inhales sharply. “That’s a relief to hear, dear. Thank you for saying that.”
Violet’s door flies open and she emerges, a duffel bag in her grip. “Does this work?” She poses to model the black leggings and red tunic sweater she threw on.
“Perfect.”
“Great, ’cause I don’t have anything else clean.”
“Oh, I can wash your clothes for you while you’re gone.” Gayle smiles up at her granddaughter.
“No, Gramma, I’ve got it. You can’t be going down to the basement. What if you fall?”
“I’ll go slow.”
Violet shakes her head. “Please don’t make me worry about you while I’m gone. I’ll do all the laundry when I’m back tomorrow.”
After a beat, Gayle nods. “I’ll leave it for you.” But her shoulders slump.
“Do you need anything? Tea?”
She holds up a mug. “You already made me one, remember?”
“Or a sandwich?”
“Oh, don’t fuss over me.” Gayle waves her off. “We’ll be fine.”
Violet’s brow wrinkles. “You sure?”
“Of course! Go and have fun with Abbi at the bridal shower. We’ll see you tomorrow. Give me a kiss.”
Violet stoops to kiss Gayle’s forehead with a murmured “Love you, Gramma.”
We wave our goodbyes and head outside, into the cold.
But Violet seems down.
“You okay?”
She peers over her shoulder at the house. “I feel guilty about leaving them alone overnight.”
“Did you want to stay here? You don’t have to come with me.”