Page 14 of Another June with You

Chapter 4

Nana?” Shannon called out as they walked through to the sun room at the back of the house. It was Nana’s favorite place to spend her days. She’d sit and read for hours, happily lost in the pages of books, sipping on her tea, watching the birds at the feeders in the backyard.

Shannon stepped through the door, but Nana wasn’t there. She turned abruptly, and Micah ran right into her. Her hands gripped the fabric of his dress shirt to keep from falling backwards.

“Sorry,” they both blurted simultaneously.

“My fault.” She wished she could stop herself from blushing. He probably thought she had the flu or a fever after all the blushing she’d done so far that day.

“Samantha?” Nana called out from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

“It’s Shannon, Nana.” She led Micah through the house to where her grandmother, Irene McGregor, stood in the kitchen.

“I thought you were your mother.” Nana didn’t look up from her place at the counter. Her wrinkled, crooked fingers slowly pressed dough into a pie pan. “She said she’d be right back.”

“Nana, I brought you a visitor.”

Nana’s eyes finally lifted from the pan to Shannon’s face and then past her to Micah.

“Hey, Granny McG.” He gave her a little wave.

Her mouth dropped open, and she lifted her hands in the air. “Oh my heavens! Is that really you? Is that my Micah?” She brushed her floury hands against her apron and shuffled across the floor.

Micah stepped around Shannon and closed the distance, wrapping his arms gently around Nana as she clung to him and laid her head on his chest.

“Oh, dear boy, you have been missed.” Nana held on to him tightly.

Shannon’s heart squeezed as Nana used the edge of her apron to wipe tears from her eyes.

“I’ve missed you, too, Granny.” He glanced back at Shannon.

“Told you,” Shannon mouthed.

“Come sit down and have a piece of pie,” Nana insisted, moving to the cupboard to get him a plate, then cutting a slice of another pie that sat cooling on the counter.

“I’m gonna go wash my hands.” Micah bolted for the hallway bathroom.

“There’s a sink right here, dear,” Nana called after him.

“He had a big glass of water earlier.” Shannon said with a laugh.

Nana chuckled.

Shannon motioned toward the end of the counter, noticing three more pies on the far end. “What are all these pies for, Nana?”

“Church bake sale,” she replied.

Shannon was in awe of her grandmother for being heartily involved in church at her age, giving of herself for others, still spreading Jesus’ love to everyone she met. Nana was an inspiration to her and always had been.

But her own relationship with God wasn’t like Nana’s. Not anymore. Not since He allowed her dreams to shatter.

Micah returned and took a seat at the kitchen table, and Nana set a plate of pie in front of him. “Do you like strawberry rhubarb?”

He had a large bite of the pie in his mouth before she even finished her question. “Mmm.”

Nana smiled proudly, then shifted her eyes to Shannon’s. She didn’t say anything, only gave her a little smile in return. Shannon knew her grandmother. That look said more than words ever could. She was happy Micah was there. She had loved the two of them together.

“Don’t you want some?” Micah asked Shannon. “I know you’re on a health kick, but you do treat yourself sometimes, don’t you?”

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