Page 83 of Child of Mine

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rings. I send Lilah to let Henry in while I finish setting the table for supper. It’s a little surreal to have him sitting down with us, but maybe it’s good practice. I’m definitely happy to have him here as a distraction.

Once everyone’s seated and has filled their plate, I dive in. “Lilah, honey, we have some news.”

Without missing a beat, mouth full of ham sandwich, she asks, “Am I getting more family?”

Henry mouthsShould I?and I shrug. Maybe it’s better to share good news first. “Well, as a matter of fact, you are. Your other grandma is coming to visit this week.”

“She is?” my mom asks.

“Is that okay with you, Grandma?” Lilah asks.

“Of course,” Mom says. “I know I’ll always be your first and best. But don’t tell her.”

“Okay,” Lilah agrees. Before I can try and segue to talking about the store, she asks, “But what about more moms and dads and grandads? Some of my friends have two moms and dads and even four grandpas.”

“Uh, no,” I say. We’ve kind of skirted around the existence of my father, and that’s not something I’m ready to talk about now. “No extra moms and dads.”

“But you’ll get some aunts and uncles and cousins,” Henry says. “Maybe we’ll go visit them at the end of the summer.”

“Where are they?” Lilah asks.

“They’re all in North Carolina, where I’m from.”

Lilah picks up a slice of cucumber but pauses before dipping it in the glob of thousand island dressing on her plate. “What’s my other grandmother’s name?”

“Linda,” Henry says.

“What will I call her?”

Henry scratches the beard on his chin. “Well, her other grandchildren—your cousins—call her Gammy Lulu.”

“That’s babyish.” Lilah’s nose wrinkles in obvious disgust. “How old are they?”

“They’re around your age, but one of them called her that when he was a baby and I guess it just stuck.”

“Oh,” is all she says.

“I bet you could come up with something better.”

She takes that in for a moment and then asks, “When is she coming?”

“Tomorrow,” Henry says. “I’m going to pick her up at the airport after work.”

“Tomorrow?” my mom asks.

“Yeah, sorry.” Henry says to her. “This was a last-minute thing.”

We need to get down to business before they plan out the week, so I switch tacks. “But Lilah, honey, that wasn’t what we meant to tell you. That is some good news, but we have some bad news.”

A tiny wrinkle appears between her eyebrows.

My mom takes Lilah’s hand. “Sweetheart, Grandma is selling the bookstore.”

The furrow on her forehead deepens. “Why?”

“Well, it’s time for me to retire.”

Lilah slides her hand out from under my mom’s. “But Mommy and me can run it.”

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