Finding You

Chapter 20

Summer break, 2020

My father who I never knew died before I was born and my mother who I also never knew, took off just having giving birth at twenty years old. Which left me with my Grams. Grams is my card playing and wine connoisseur partner, dancing buddy, and best friend. She's sixty-five with the soul of a twenty-five year old, no matter where she goes she's always the life of the party.

Old wooden floorboards creak as I go down them, with the smell of sweet, maple bacon growing stronger with every step. It was Sunday morning, and every Sunday morning Grams made breakfast. "Morning Grams," I say and lean down to her five foot height to kiss her on the cheek. Beads of oil popped and sizzled in a pan full of sausage patties, with another pan of cheesy scrambled eggs cooking next to it. I bet Henry would kill for these eggs on top of some tater tots.

"Morning sweet pea, porch or kitchen?" Grams asks, we typically always eat our Sunday breakfasts out on the porch in the summer, but if it's too hot we'll eat inside at the kitchen table. Since it's just after seven in the morning, I take that it's not too hot out so ai tell Grams let's eat out on the porch. Light cream walls covered the kitchen, with rich, dark brown cabinets and a pale blue accent tile that separates the top cabinets from the bottom. The kitchen also looked like it doubled as a green house with how many plants were kept in here. Above the sink, three small potted plants hung in  separate twine swings that hung from the ceiling. While in the large windowsill behind our round wooden kitchen table that had three colored chairs that didn't match the table much less matched each other, Grams kept small pots of different herbs she grew herself including mint, rosemary, basil, and oregano with an abundance of others on that windowsill. Topped off with several large plants around the space, each in different colored ceramic pots.

My stomach completely full, aching for me to not eat anything else. But the food is so delicious, it would be a waste to not finish the last of it off of my plate. The sun warms my fair skin, and the sliding door opens as Grams steps back outside with two cups of fresh coffee, handing me my dark forest green mug with her yellow mug in her other hand.

"Mm smells great, like always. So what's on the schedule for today? Any errands to run? Or should we play hooky and watch Hallmark movies all day after I do the dishes? I can go to the store tomorrow after work on my way home if we make a list," I tell her, Grams loves her Hallmark channel. Typically we do errands after breakfast on Sundays, but I'm hoping she'll be swayed with the mention of Hallmark.

As I suspected, she responds, "Well, sweet pea you know I can't say no to the Hallmark channel. We'll make a list after lunch for the store. I was thinking, why don't you see if your friends would like to join us for dinner next Saturday night? And anyone who lives farther out can stay the night here so they wouldn't have to make a long drive back in the middle of the night."

"That sounds great, I'll check in to see if they can all come."

"Ask them what they would want for dinner and we'll add everything to the grocery list," she replied. Although I already knew what everyone would request for dinner.

"Sure thing, I can ask but I can guarantee they all want your pot roast," I say with a cheeky smile.

A smile spreads across Grams face as she laughs softly. She knows everyone loves her savory roast, but it always makes her smile when someone compliments it. That smile will mimic itself on anyone, no matter how dark the space around them is.