[A/N. I just realised I made a mistake in the prologue when I was speaking about Samuel and Belinda as both being alive. I realise that Belinda actually died at the end of "Unfinished Symphony."]

EIGHT:

As May and I walked home from school she noticed that I was quiet, and asked me what was wrong? I signed to her that nothing was wrong, I was just tired and there was a lot to do for the wedding. But in my heart I was confused over my feelings. I didn't like my real father, but I felt like he wasn't as bad as he had seemed. So May chattered away, telling me all about her boyfriend, and how he'd written her the nicest letter, and he'd even said he loved her. I smiled at her enthusiasm, remembering my first boyfriend back in Sewell-Bobby Lockwood. The last Alice had told me he was dating someone new. When May and I arrived home Cary had gone down to the dock to speak to Roy Patterson, and Aunt Sara had hobbled downstairs to lie on the couch.

"Hello dears. How was school?" She asked as we walked in.

May signed to her, telling her all about what she'd done, and about Henry, the boy she called her boyfriend.

"Jacob wouldn't approve of you having a boyfriend." Aunt Sara said looking concerned. "If he were here now he'd be ranting and raving."

"Aunt Sara," I spoke up. "Uncle Jacob would be proud of the beautiful young lady his daughter has turned into though."

"Aye, that he would, that he would." Aunt Sara smiled. "He'd be proud of both his daughters."

I felt my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth. "Aunt Sara you do remember that Laura is dead, don't you?"

"Yes." She said, sadly.

The silence in the room was stifling, and May reached for my hand, which I squeezed firmly.

"Now," I said, taking charge. "Since you can't get up to fix dinner May and I'll have to make it. We'll just have to hope it's edible."

"Oh I'm sure it'll be fine!" Aunt Sara assured us. "Oh and Melody you had a phone call before from the Judge. He asked that you call him straight back!"

"Okay I'll call him back now before we begin dinner." I said, and went out to the phone. Morton answered and when he realised it was me he wanted to talk to me about the wedding. "The judge is very excited you know!" He told me. "With you asking him to walk you down the aisle and all." Finally he got the judge, who came on.

"Melody, I'm sorry to call you, but I've got some news for you." He said.

"News?" I repeated.

"Do you want the good news or the bad?" The judge asked.

I felt my heart begin to race. The way he said it sounded so ominous, and surely there was no more bad news. Not now that everything in my life was beginning to work out! "The good." I managed to say.

"The good news is we've sold your Grandmother's estate!" The judge said. "And let me tell you now, the price was even more than I had expected. So Cary can begin his business sooner than planned. And of course now you're free to find a place for yourselves."

"That's wonderful news Grandfather." I said. "Cary will be delighted to hear it!"

"The bad news however is that Samuel seems to have taken a turn for the worse. He's suffered a stroke, and the nurses called to tell me that he's completely coherent and sane, and he's asking for you." The judge explained.

"Oh no!" I said. "That's terrible. I'll have to get Cary to take me there right away. It's times like this I wished I'd booked in for my license sooner."

"You better hurry Melody, it sounds bad." The judge said soberly.

"Thanks Grandfather." I said as I hung up.

I hurried into the living room and told Aunt Sara what had happened. Her eyes teared up. "He was the nicest man. He was so different to Olivia.."

Then I ran down to the dock to get Cary. He saw me coming, and stood up to greet me. "Where's the fire?" He called, but then as I got closer he saw that there was something wrong. "Melody, what is it?" he asked as I ran into his arms.

"Grandpa Samuel. He's very sick, we've got to go right now Cary." I explained, out of breath.

"Now?" Cary repeated, but instead of replying I grasped his hand and pulled him up towards the house.

*****

In the truck on the way to the home where Grandma Olivia had put Grandpa Samuel Cary and I spoke about how much we loved him. Even though I knew the judge was my grandfather, I still cared about Grandpa Samuel very much, and still thought of him as my Grandfather as well.

"When we were kids Grandma Olivia used to send Laura, May and I out of the room to play outside all the time. Grandpa Samuel used to find an excuse to leave the room and come out and give us something to eat or a toy or something.." Cary said with a sigh. "It's just so awful that he had to end up in that home."

"I know. I was always so annoyed that Grandma Olivia put him in there in the first place, but when I spoke to the nurses about moving him, or bringing him back here I realised that it was the best place for him." I admitted. "At least he always seemed fairly happy when we saw him..."

At the home the nurse recognized me straight away. "Samuel has been calling for you Miss Logan." She said.

"I know. How is he?" I asked.

"Not good. I'm surprised he's lasted this long, but I get the impression that he wanted to see you before he passed on." The nurse explained, and then she noticed Cary by my side. "Oh! We can only permit one family member in there at a time."

"That's okay. You go in, and I'll wait outside." Cary said, giving me a smile.

I took a deep breath and walked into the room. Grandpa Samuel was lying in bed, his eyes closed. He looked a lot older than he had when I had seen him last and I took another deep breath before going over to the bed and taking his hand.

"Grandpa Samuel? It's me, Melody." I said softly.

He opened his eyes, and smiled weakly. "Haille's Melody." He said.

"That's right Grandpa." I said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm going to die." He said matter-of-factly.

"No Grandpa!" I argued. "You're not going to die."

"I am Melody, and I don't mind. I'm old and I'm tired..." He said. "It's like this stroke woke me up from a dream and I saw everything so clearly again. I know Olivia put me in here because she couldn't cope with me, and I remember being told she had died. Soon I'll be with her again-not that I think that's any great reward."

"GRANDPA!" I cried. "Stop this! You're not going to die and-"

"Melody I am!" For an old man he spoke firmly and with force. "But listen, I want to tell you some things before I die. Your Grandmother was a very strong person, and even though sometimes I hated the things she did I know why she did them...Melody this is hard for me to tell you..you might not care about me so much after you hear this.." He trailed off.

"Grandpa," I said, my eyes filled with tears. "I will."

"I was weak. I let myself be blackmailed-and by my own wife. But I was a coward- as all men are when faced with people knowing about their indiscretions." He said, taking a deep breath. I realised he didn't have much strength left in him, and he was using whatever he had to tell me something. Had he had an affair? Well if he had, I couldn't blame him- Grandma Olivia was hardly the most loving of women.

"You know that the judge is your real Grandfather I know. Belinda, your Grandmother, was the most beautiful woman in her time. Every man in the town was enchanted with her-myself included. She was so different to her own sister-and I couldn't help but think that maybe I had been stuck with the wrong one. Belinda and I would spend hours together, walking and talking, and I'd confess my fears that I had made the worst choice imaginable in choosing Olivia. She'd laugh, that tinkly little laugh of hers, and tell me it wasn't too late. But I resisted her charms. That is until one day when Olivia and I had the most terrible fight, and I turned to Belinda for comfort. It wasn't long after that she found out she was pregnant, and I was so scared that the child was actually mine, however she traced it back, and worked out that it was the judge, not myself. But she must have said something to Olivia about it. When the baby was born, and Olivia decided that Belinda be put in the home I tried to argue, I tried to claim that Belinda wasn't insane. But Olivia told me that if I argued, if I didn't let her do it, she'd tell everyone about Belinda and I, and she'd throw me out on the street. She'd take me to court and lie so that I'd never be able to see my sons, and the girl I thought of as my daughter ever again. Faced with losing it all, I caved in. I let her put Belinda in the home, knowing that she didn't deserve to be there, that there wasn't really as much wrong with her as Olivia claimed in public.." He stopped and struggled for breath for a moment, while I held my own breath. "I could have resisted, I could have been brave, and lost other things, but kept my integrity. But I didn't. And I understand if you never forgive me, because I will never forgive myself for this."

I took a deep breath. I was shocked at what he had told me-that Belinda hadn't needed to go into the home, but Grandma Olivia had put her in there regardless, blackmailing her own husband into agreeing. No wonder he felt bad about it, and no wonder he wanted to get it off his chest and tell me, but at that moment I wasn't mad at him. He'd been forced to make a choice between my Grandmother who wasn't even completely sane at the time, and his own children and life. No wonder he'd made the choice he had. And I had to tell him that now before it was too late.

"Grandpa, listen to me carefully." I said. "I understand why you did what you did. I'm not mad at you. If I'm mad at anyone it's Grandma Olivia for being so hard as to put you in such a position. Of course you'd chose your children. You were a great father to them, and a great grandfather to us!"

He relaxed and seemed to melt back into the bed. "You're a good girl Melody. You're going to be very happy."

His hand slipped from mine, so only his fingertips remained in mine, but they grew slack, and his eyes closed. His head lolled onto the side, and I knew he was gone. I bent my head, and put my face on his hand, my tears falling on him. I hadn't been lying in anything I said to him. There was no point in me being mad, and blaming him for my Grandmother being left in the home. Not now.

When I left the room Cary knew by the look on my face that Grandpa Samuel was dead. He took me in his arms and we cried together.

"He was a great man." Cary said hoarsely.

"I know." I agreed, holding him tight. We stood there a long time before we left the home to go back to Provincetown and tell everyone that Grandpa Samuel was dead. For the time being I kept the information that Grandpa Samuel had given me to myself. In my opinion I didn't have to tell anyone it. It wasn't going to change anything.