Page 90 of Cross My Heart
“Maybe it’ll be like camping,” Tate says happily, “that would be so awesome.”
“Yeah, awesome,” Preston grumbles, always the pansy.
Less than two hours later, I’m walking through the McDowell’s front door, making all the introductions. Sylvie and Mimi (who I now have to call Mimi) are in the kitchen with Tate and the girls. All of the Westbrook boys, Mr. McDowell, who I can now call Pete, and I are in their large great-room that looks over the small ski mountain.
“Alright, son,” Pete starts, “last I heard, our Lanie was staying with you for Thanksgiving, then all of a sudden, she is at Julia’s, and you’re all on some fancy plane chasing after her. Do I have any need to take out the shotgun again?” Preston and Cooper, who are squished together in a double chair, throw their heads back and laugh.
“He isn’t joking,” I tell them, and Preston’s eyes light up with mischief. “Don’t start, Pres. I mean it. No, sir, it wasn’t my doing.” I pinch the back of my neck, peering down. “Everything was great, then we were having dinner, and the girls started calling her Momma.” Pete nods his head, solemnly.
“I see, and shortly after, she was running for home. Is that it?” Pete questions me.
“That’s about it, sir.”
He leans back in his rocker, putting a hand through his hair. Looking around the room and into the kitchen, Pete takes stock of everyone in his home.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how she is going to react to us being here. If Julia hadn’t told me to get my ass on a plane, I would have let her have her space. It would have killed me, but I would have given it to her.”
“Mhm, I do believe Julia made the right call. It’s about time we knock some sense into that girl.” Pete smiles at me and hope fills my chest. These may be Lanie’s people, but they are my allies. The thought makes me laugh.
* * *
Walkingtowards the kitchen at the back of the great room, I hear Tate talking with Mimi and Sylvie. I pause, pretending to look at the pictures lining the walls, but the smile Mimi gives me tells me I’m not fooling anyone.
“Mimi, why does Lanie call you Mimi, is that your name?”
She laughs at such an innocent yet direct question. Grabbing the stool across from Tate, she takes a seat, motioning for Sylvie to choose the one next to him. I notice they have the girls set up in the portable highchairs with some crackers. Two grandmothers in their glory.
“No, handsome, my name is Maxine, but you know, I met Lanie when she was just a bit older than you. I don’t know how much Lanie has told you, but she didn’t have the easiest of childhoods. When she was young, Pawpaw and I just decided she needed to have some people in her life to count on. I had called my grandmother Mimi, so I chose to have Lanie call me that as well.I wasn’t her mother, you see, but any chance I got, I liked to show her what a mother could be. I wanted her to have a familial feeling with us, so I guess that’s why we always had these nicknames.”
“If Lanie had wanted to call you mom, would you have let her?” Tate asks, surprising us all.
Mimi raises her head in question, and I motion for her to answer honestly. Tate has had a rough go, but he has always had the guys and me. Maybe some insight from Mimi will help him.
“Hoo-we, that’s a tough question right there, little man,” I laugh as Mimi uses the nickname Lanie so often uses. I wonder if Lanie has any idea just how much of Mimi she really has inside her. “It’s tricky because even though Lanie’s mom wasn’t always good to her, she was still around.”
“Not like my mom,” Tate states, and I suck in a breath.
Preston’s brother, Easton, comes up beside me, putting a hand on my shoulder. He obviously just heard Tate’s words too.
“My mom isn’t nice at all. She doesn’t love me like Lanie does. She doesn’t even like me very much.” All the air I was holding in is now suffocating me, but I can’t walk away.
“You know what, Tate? Lanie’s mom didn’t much like her either; perhaps that’s why the two of you get along so well. I’m glad that you have your Dad and Nanna Sylvie here and all those boys out there watching out for you, though. Lanie only had us when her mother allowed it, I have to imagine it was pretty lonely for her sometimes.”
“I was lonely before Lanie came to live with us too.”
I cannot believe he is so comfortable with Mimi. It makes me realize how she was able to get so close to Lanie all those years ago. It’s an innate skill she has so obviously handed down to Lanie.
“I bet that was hard for you. You know, Lanie told me you didn’t talk for a while. Lanie probably doesn’t remember, but there was a short time where she didn’t speak much either. It’s one of the reasons I’m so happy she found you. It took Lanie many, many years to understand the true meaning of family because it’s different for everyone. Did you know that?”
“Lanie didn’t talk either?” is all Tate can focus on.
Mimi gives him a sad smile and pats his hand. Looking at me, I see the sadness wash over her face. “She was about ten when something scary happened to her. She didn’t talk for a couple of months after that, but do you know what I did? I showed her love. As she got older, I taught her that it was okay to choose your family. I think that’s an important lesson for you too, handsome.Lanie’s mom was not good for her; it’s taken Lanie many, many years to fully understand what having a family really means. I’m willing to bet you’ve had a big part in showing her what family should be.” Mimi is still holding Tate’s hand.
I see Sylvie wiping a stray tear before speaking. “Tate, you know everything your mom said to you?”
“Yes, Nanna Sylvie,” he says sadly.
“None of that was true, you know that, right? Your mom has some issues, but they have absolutely nothing to do with you. You’re an amazing kid that anyone would be lucky to have as a son.” Sylvie tells him.
