Mari & Ilna: What can I say? I'm enjoying this adventure every bit as much as I was on day one. Maybe more.
REAL Worlders-thanks for all the enthusiastic support. You guys are the best.
In Tune (1/1)
Grandma Ang sat comfortably ensconced on the recliner in the living room at the beach house as she watched Esther gently redirect Angie's attention away from her stacking blocks, which were proving especially frustrating for the young girl this morning, and towards a puzzle with large colorful pictures of zoo animals.
As soon as Steve and Catherine heard that the Rollinses condo association was conducting their annual one-day pest spray they suggested Grandma Ang get away from any potential fumes by coming to their house. She immediately jumped at the chance to spend an entire day with her great granddaughter.
By the time she arrived Steve and Catherine had already left for work, so she enjoyed a relaxing breakfast with Esther and Angie before settling down in the living room for some playtime. After a few minutes of happily placing puzzle pieces, with Esther's gentle hand and soft-spoken encouragement guiding the way, Angie turned her attention back to her blocks.
It was clear she knew what she wanted to do, make the stack taller, but she didn't quite have the manual dexterity to make it happen. She could get three or four blocks balanced precariously on top of one another but then either a vibration or an errant arm swing would knock them to the ground eliciting a scowl and a pronounced grunt of displeasure.
When Esther attempted to help she was met with a firm "No".
"She wants to do it herself," Esther chuckled.
Grandma Ang smiled. "She is her parents' daughter."
When the blocks fell once again, and Angie's frustration level was clearly about to cause a minor tantrum, Esther deftly plucked the young girl up and announced it was time to play on the beach.
"That sounds like a good idea," Grandma Ang said enthusiastically.
She'd been fond of Esther since the day they met but having spent the morning watching the young woman interact with Angie, seeing how tuned in they were to each other, how Esther knew instinctively when to let Angie try on her own and when to step in and help, when to teach and when to simply enjoy playing together, how much they genuinely loved each other, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt Esther was the perfect choice to be her namesake's nanny and that her great granddaughter was in good hands when Steve and Catherine were at work.
Grandma Ang and Angie were reading a book together on the deck after lunch when they heard a loud crash and the unmistakable sound of breaking glass come from the kitchen. A few seconds later Esther poked her head out the door.
"I'm fine," she assured not only the women but a clearly concerned Cammie. "I dropped the fruit platter and it shattered. Give me a few minutes to get it cleaned up before anyone comes in here."
Ten minutes later Esther reappeared carrying a fresh pitcher of lemonade.
"I can't believe I dropped that platter," she huffed as she refilled both Ang's glass and Angie's sippy cup. "My hands were wet. I should have known better." She sighed deeply. "Catherine loves that platter."
"It's just a platter," Grandma Ang told her. "It can be replaced. At least you didn't cut yourself."
"I know but still … " Esther huffed.
Angie squirmed to get down from beside her great grandmother and rounded the table to stand beside Esther.
"Uh-oh!" She announced loudly as she dropped her sippy cup to the ground.
Esther leaned over to pick it up, wiped the top and handed it back to Angie. "Maybe I can look online and find another platter. Do you happen to know where Catherine got that one?"
"Sorry, I don't." Grandma Ang replied. "But I'm sure replacing it isn't necessary."
"Uh oh!" Angie said as once again the cup hit the deck.
Esther picked it up and wiped it off again before handing it back to Angie who immediately dropped it again. "Uh-oh!"
"Oh, are we playing this now?" Esther asked as she looked at Angie and saw the youngster's eyes dancing with delight. "Is this what we're doing?"
She picked the cup up again and handed it back to her young charge.
Angie held the cup out in front of her.
"Don't do it," Esther couldn't help but smile. "I'll have to tickle you if you do it," she warned.
With a grin Angie dropped the cup. "Uh-oh."
And just like that the two of them were sitting on the deck playing and laughing together. A few seconds later Cammie joined the fun and the happy sound of giggles and small barks filled the air. The broken platter was forgotten, at least for now.
When Joseph stopped by for a quick visit after lunch, Grandma Ang could tell right away he'd had a hard morning. There was sadness in his eyes that had been building over the last week. A man who he had grown close to at the VA had been placed in hospice care a few weeks earlier and Joseph had gotten a call at around 2:00 A.M. after which he hurriedly dressed and left the condo.
The man, whose name was Roderick Mayfield, had taken an instant liking to Joseph the day they met. He had been raised on the island and then later, after 20 years of naval service, retired there. His wife passed away three years ago but his children and grandchildren visited regularly along with a more than a few friends he'd made along the way.
Roderick's faith was strong. And he'd needed every ounce of it three years earlier when his beloved wife of 59 years, Margaret, preceded him in death. She'd been by his side through thick and thin, through good times and bad. They'd raised their children together and shared the joys of grandparenthood side by side until she was struck down by a fast-moving cancer. She worried during her last days about whether she had tied up every loose end, let everyone who meant something to her know how much she appreciated what they had added to her life, put her family, especially her beloved Roderick, in a position to go on without her.
He'd held her hand in her last moments and promised her they'd be fine and that he'd see her again someday.
He'd gone on without her, as he promised her he would. Had good times with family and friends. Taken time out of every day to give thanks for his blessings. But his own battle with age was catching up to him and on a long walk the month before around the VA grounds he confided to Joseph that he was ready to go.
Ready to see Margaret again.
He'd lived a good life. He had very few regrets and the ones he did have he'd managed to make peace with. His children were all established, and he was thankful that while he wasn't going to be able to leave them a fortune he also wasn't going to leave them with any debt.
Just memories.
He'd taken one on one time with all the people who were special to him, making sure they knew how much he loved them, and assuring them he would be alright. And they would be too.
On that long walk around the grounds of the VA he'd told Joseph how he saw so much of Margaret in Elizabeth. How he could see Joseph loved her deeply. And how the pride on his face when he talked about his daughter and son-in-law, and now granddaughter, always made Roderick happy.
He'd gotten a chance to meet them all, to tell old stories to the beautiful lieutenant and her handsome husband the commander. He appreciated the fact that they listened, truly listened, as opposed to just humoring an old man. They had respect.
"You have every right to be very proud of them," Roderick had told Joseph after the visit.
"I am," Joseph assured him.
Even though Joseph knew Roderick was at peace now, no longer in pain, he couldn't help but be sad about the passing of his friend.
As he took a seat on the couch Angie toddled to him, stuffed tiger in hand, and held up one arm. Joseph picked her up and smiled at her before settling her in his lap. She immediately laid her head on his chest and simply sat with him.
Quietly.
He kissed the top of her head as he thought about the circle of life. And Roderick. Who he hoped was somewhere right now holding hands with Margaret.
The two of them sat quietly as Grandma Ang watched their interaction wordlessly. Angie was exactly the elixir he needed right now, and she seemed content to sit quietly for as long as he needed her.
Catherine came through the door at almost 7:00 P.M. and dropped her tote bag on the floor with a thud. Her shoes landed beside it a few seconds later. She immediately looked around for Angie then heard Esther's voice from upstairs saying they'd be right down.
"Bad day?" Grandma Ang asked as she watched Catherine roll her neck, desperately trying to alleviate some of the tightness the day had put there.
Catherine huffed. "What gave it away?"
"I know you." Ang smiled softly. "That's the look you get when you're frustrated."
"I spent the whole day dealing with senators who would rather engage in political posturing than actually do something to help their constituents." Catherine reached into the ceramic container she kept on the side table and pulled out a ponytail holder. "I was tempted to put them all in time out since they were acting like children," she said as she put her hair up.
"You'll get them straightened out," Ang replied confidently. "I have faith in you."
"I'm thinking of locking them in a room and not letting them out until they actually start listening to each other, and more importantly the people they represent." Catherine smiled wryly.
"Aahhhh bahhhh mama mama mama!" Angie squealed as she and Esther appeared on the landing.
"But I'll worry about all of that on Monday." Catherine's tone immediately lightened as her face broke out into a beaming smile as soon as she saw Angie. "Right now, I have more important things to worry about.
Five minutes later every sign of the tired, frustrated woman who had had a very long day at work was gone. Catherine was sitting on the floor, smile in place, fully engaged with her giggling daughter. All signs of the stress of the day were gone.
Her phone buzzed and she checked the message before typing a quick reply.
"Your daddy says he'll be home in about half an hour but I'm not sure if you're gonna be able to stay awake that long," she told Angie, who was clad in pajamas covered with pictures of puppies and whose eyelids were already drooping.
Angie regarded her mother as if she understood exactly what she was being told.
Grandma Ang smiled as she recognized a determined glint in the young girl's eyes. Something she'd seen many times in the eyes of her own daughter and granddaughter.
And in the mirror.
Clearly Angie was too young to understand emotional complexities, but there was something special about her. The same kind of something Ang had seen so many years ago in Catherine.
An innate ability to connect with others. Even at very young age Ang was seeing it play out. In the way Angie redirected Esther when she was upset about breaking the platter. In the way she comforted Joseph. In the way she helped melt away her mother's tension.
Some children that age would have reacted to the increased emotion of the moment with edginess, or even tears of their own.
But not Angie.
Clearly a 13-month-old couldn't understand the concepts of grief or self-recrimination or exhaustion and frustration on a conscious level but there was something deep inside her that knew. That sensed what a person needed. Just like her mother.
Angie crawled back towards her stacking blocks and Ang smiled.
Determined that one was.
Thirty-five minutes later she looked up from her blocks when Steve hurried through the door. His smile lit up the room as soon as he saw that she was still awake.
"Dada!" She held her arms up and he immediately scooped her up and kissed her cheek.
"She's been rubbing her eyes for awhile now, but she clearly wanted to wait for daddy," Catherine smiled. "She didn't want to go to bed without seeing you."
"I'm glad she didn't." Steve beamed as he kissed his wife. "How was your day, Grandma Ang? Did Angie keep you busy?"
"She sure did." Grandma Ang smiled and wiggled her fingers at Angie who giggled in return. "We had a great day."
THE END
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