So I gave in, she drove, and we both cleaned up before I gave her the nickel tour of my condo. Afterward, she took me to lunch before ending up back at her home.
“Lukey, after you finish grouting the tiles, would you like to stay for dinner?”
I stayed until 9:30, and before I could escape, she gave me a soft kiss on the lips.
Later that night, while I was trying to fall asleep while thinking about that kiss, I had a discussion with the wife in my head. I lost that argument.
‘Bobby needs a mother and more siblings, and you need a wife to keep you from wearing your underwear three days in a row and make sure you don’t wear mismatched socks.’
I couldn’t argue with that logic.
*****
Chapter Five – Bobby and Grandma, Conspirators’
*****
“Dad, next week is Phanksgiving. We want to send a card to Miss Dalton from both of us.”
“Do you mean Thanksgiving? Do you want me to help you buy it?”
“Uh-huh.”
***
“Miss Dalton, next week is Thanksgiving. My dad is really sad about my mom dying.”
“Bobby, I don’t want to be nosy, but how did she die?”
“My dad forgot to pick up my birthday cake, so my mom went to get it and got hit by a big truck.”
“On your birthday? Oh, you poor baby.” Miss Dalton hugged me like my mom did when I was sad, and she even cried tears.
“I’m okay. He blames himself. Don’t tell him I told you. My mom doesn’t blame him. She wants him to move.”
“Your mom? But I thought you said she’s…. Where does she want him to move?”
“On.”
“On? Oh, I get it, move on. Bobby, do you talk to your mom?”
“Uh-huh. She talks to me when I have a question or wants me to do something. She wanted me to ask if you would send him a Thanksgiving card?”
“Of course, Bobby.”
***
That Saturday, my grandma and dad took me to buy Miss Dalton a card. He helped me find one, and then I showed him where video games were while Grandma pretended to look at Christmas cards. After eating dinner at their house, dad wrote words on paper but kept tearing them up. When he got it right, he wrote on the card. Then he licked the envelope and wrote her name on it.
He told me, “I’ll put it in your book bag when we get home.”
Grandma smiled, and her eyes twinkled as dad hugged her.
Sunday, Grandma came over, picked me up, and left Pop with dad to watch football. When we got back to her house, I gave her his card, and we opened it and read what he wrote to Miss Dalton. It had flowers and a turkey on the front.
Miss Dalton,
Thank you so much for all the extra attention you give Bobby. I am amazed at how
much his mood has improved since summer. I have to give you a lot of credit. I’m glad I
could fix your bathroom.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Luke Larson & Bobby
“Your father has forgotten what a charmer he was in high school with the girls. He could talk any girl into his, uh, um, car.” Grandma had a funny face when she said that, and she turned red. Then she opened the card she bought at the store. It was red with pictures of food dishes on two sides, leaves scattered around, and a big red heart with gold trim reading Happy Thanksgiving Day. Inside was what grandma wrote.
Betty,
Thank you so much for all the extra attention you give Bobby. He is a special little
boy, and you are an exceptional woman. I was happy to help you fix your plumbing leak,
but I was even happier getting to spend time talking with you. I’d forgotten how wonderful
it is to inhale the fragrance of a beautiful woman again. Plus, you are a great cook, and I am
not. Please forgive me if I have gone over the line. Bobby says I’m smiling now, and he’s
happy again. Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope we can see each other again. Maybe we could go to dinner and a movie, my treat.
Luv,
Luke
“Grandma, it’s great, and your writing looks like his.”
“No, his handwriting looks like mine.”
She dropped the 1st card into the trashcan.
***
The day before Thanksgiving, I had a half-day of school. Dad was picking me up, so instead of sitting in the lunchroom, Miss Dalton said I could sit with her in class.
“Bobby, tell your dad I said thank you for the card he sent. It is beautiful, and I was surprised by what he wrote.”
“You aren’t upset, are you?”
“Oh, no, I think he likes me, and that makes me happy.”
“He likes you a lot.”
“Oh, does he, Bobby?”
“Uh-huh. Dad and me are going to eat turkey at grandmas’. What are you doing?”
“Well, my parents are on a trip out of the country, so I have a little turkey roast, and I’ll eat by myself.”
“Well, you could come to eat with us and thank him for the card.”
“Oh, I couldn’t dream of intruding.”
“Grandma said I can vite you.”
“Do you mean invite?”
“Uh-huh, invite you. She said you could call her after eight in the morning. She eats her oatmeal and reads the paper at 7:30. I have her number on my phone, Grandma is #1.”
Miss Dalton took my phone and punched grandma’s number into her phone.
Just then, the intercom blared out, “Bobby Larson, please report to the traffic circle. Your father is here.”
“Bye, Miss Dalton.”
***
The next morning I was outside grandma’s kitchen when the phone rang at 9:30, and Grandma answered it.
“Hello?”
. . . . .
“Oh, hello Betty, how are you?”
. . . . .
“Of course, you can come. I’ve wanted to meet the woman who has helped my boys smile again. You can help me in the kitchen while the men watch football, and we can talk.”
. . . . .
“I’ll send Luke to get you. Is noon okay?”
. . . . .
“Okay, see you then.”
I threw my arms up like Rocky did and said, “What do I do next, Momma?”
***
Later, Dad and Miss Dalton came in laughing, and dad was carrying an apple pie. I heard him tell Pop about Betty while she went into the kitchen and hugged grandma. Grandma said, “Hi Betty, call me Greta. Bobby, why don’t you go watch football with your dad and pops?”
“Okay, grandma.” She didn’t want me to ears drop, whatever that means.
I sat in my dad’s lap and watched football, but I fell asleep before the end.
Grandma and Miss Dalton talked. Then we ate.
We had pie and whipped cream, and then dad took her home. I was spending the night with grandma.
*****
Chapter Six – Luke Dares to Love Again
*****
I escorted Betty to her door, and she invited me in. I accepted, and after hanging up our coats, she joined me on the sofa, sitting close to me.
“Luke, thank you for inviting me to share Thanksgiving with your family. Your mother is a pistol and is so much fun to cook with, and your dad is the straight man until somebody gives him a gold-plated invitation to jump into the conversation with both feet and bring the curtains down with everyone cracking up.”
“Thank you, Betty. I think they’re special too, and I owe them my life for saving me from the bottle when Marta died. They still keep an eye on me, but I don’t need a kick in the butt anymore, and Bobby is my little mind reader who always has the right question to ask or the only reasonable answer they can be given.”
“Bobby is a sweetheart in school, always happy and willing to help the other kids that have problems with their letters or words.”
“He handled his mother passing away better than I did, but I must confess that most of my recovery came from being around you. I hope I’m not being too forward, but I find myself thinking about you every day. I tried expressing my feelings in the card Bobby gave you, but I couldn’t come up with words and just wrote a generic thank you.”