Page 106 of Digging Up Love
“Ah-ah.” Grandpa shook his finger at her. He tossed a glittery rock up, then snatched it out of the air. “You’re not holding the fool’s gold, you don’t get to speak.”
“Really, Pops? We’re not twelve anymore.”
He smiled indulgently at Simone’s petulance. “Your sister is the one who called the meeting; I’m merely enforcing the bylaws.”
“‘Bylaws,’ he says.” But Simone hushed up.
“All right, Ali. You called this meeting; I’ll give you the floor.” He tossed the hunk of pyrite toward her, and she caught it, barely. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea. She’d forgotten the rule of only one voice allowed at a time.
Could she get this out all on her own? Telling Granny before she left for the city had been shockingly easy, and breaking the news to Simone was like ripping off a Band-Aid. But Grandpa? Forget Band-Aids. She was about to dump raw alcohol on an open wound.
Simone made a bid for the pyrite, lunging forward like a cobra, but Alisha clutched it in her fist. Just the incentive she needed. “Simone, please. Enough with this tough-girl front. I know you miss our family meetings.”
“I legit do not.”
“Nuh-uh-uh. No talking.” Alisha made a snapping motion with her hand. “You’ll get your turn. But first, I’ve got something to say.”
She pivoted on the blue-and-white-checkered ottoman to face Grandpa. “I don’t want Honey and Hickory.”
The room went still, letting in the drone of cicadas in the trees. Smoke from the Snyders’ grill wafted over, and her stomach clenched at the savory aroma of charred meat. Turning the hunk of fool’s gold in her hand, she said, “I shouldn’t have accepted the restaurant, Grandpa. I’ve had a plan, for quite some time, to move to Chicago and open up my own bakery.”
Alisha glanced toward her grandma, who smiled encouragement. “But I didn’t tell you, any of you, because I was scared to let you down. Scared following my dreams meant abandoning you. But it doesn’t. I’m not my dad. I might leave town ...” She caught herself. “Iamleaving town, but I’m not leaving this family. I’ll always be here for you, even if I’m living in the city.”
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.
She set the jagged piece of fool’s gold on the floor and rolled it toward her grandfather. It skipped and bounced along the threadbare braided rag rug and came to rest against his grass-stained tennis shoe.
Tipping forward, he swept out a loose fist and scooped it up. Set it on his knee.
“You know why your father, my son, left? Know why he walked out on you?”
Heart shrinking, Alisha shook her head.
Her grandpa ran his palms down his khakis, caught up the piece of fool’s gold, and squeezed it in his fist. “Me neither. But I’ve spent years asking myself why, and the only thing I can think of was because of me. I’m his dad, see? A son needs his father. Needs his father to be strong, sure. But he needs his father to make space for him. And I didn’t. When he didn’t seem interested in the restaurant business, I resented it. So much so I pushed him away. He was my only son. I—” Wayne’s voice cracked. “Anyway, when he pulled what he did, all I wondered is, ‘Whatif I’d given him roots? What if he had ground beneath him? Would he have left then?’ Maybe so. And then again, maybe not.”
He looked up at Alisha. “I’ve been trying to give you roots, Ali. Though you never seemed to need them. Heck, seems more like what you needed was wings.”
Wings, not wheels.Alisha brushed a hand across her cheek, and it came off wet.
“But you seemed so stressed these past few years. Hardly smiling. Up late baking. Waking before dawn just to finish out an order. Always on your phone with that social media stuff you said was a pain in the butt half the time. I thought maybe if I gave you Honey and Hickory, an established business, it’d give you the freedom to stop struggling. Guess I was wrong. All I did was mess up another kid.”
“Oh, phooey,” Ellie said, and Alisha laughed in spite of herself.
“Granny’s right. You didn’t ruin me, Grandpa. We’re just both terrible at saying what we mean.”
“Well, let me try again, then.” Her grandfather leaned forward, his blue eyes dry but warm as blueberries in a cobbler. “I never meant to tie you down, or make your dreams seem unworthy, Alisha. I love you.”
She swiped at another tear. “I did a lot of assuming, too, Grandpa. It’s not all on you. And I love you so much.”
Clapping, Simone jumped to her feet. “Bravo! Well done, you two. Family meeting adjourned.”
“Um, no.” Alisha leaped up and blocked her sister’s escape. “You’ve got some explaining of your own to do, missy.”
Simone sat down. Kept her mouth closed.
“Are you not going to tell them, Sim?”
Hand to her chest, she looked around. “Oh, me? What, we’re done with the rock nonsense now?” She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, toying with the silver ring on her thumb. “I miss Hawksburg. I’ve been wanting to move back, but I don’t know if I everwould’ve, except ...” She took a deep breath. “I got fired. And then Alisha showed up and told me she was moving to the city and—”
