and smiles. "If you want to know more about your mom's first love, this box will help you more than I can."
"What is all this stuff?"
"These are some things that he gave her and the journal I gave her just before they met. I don't know a lot of the particular details, but I know that after he and your mom broke up, I noticed that all of these things were gone. I had assumed that she either threw them all away, burned them, or whatever it is that angry teenagers do when they go through a break up."
I pick up the long-forgotten journal. "So, she wrote about him in here?"
"I honestly never read it, but the simple fact that it's in this box, tells me that she did."
Suddenly, a pang of guilt and shame overcome me. These were my mother's private possessions, and I am looking through them. I immediately put the journal back in the box and put the lid on.
As I pick it up to take it back to the attic, Nana puts her frail hand on the box. "What are you doing?"
"I just don't feel right about this. These were her personal things and her secret thoughts. I'm going to put it back where I found it."
"Laura, just like the locket, I know your mom would have wanted you to have these things. If she were here right now, she would willingly tell you everything in that journal herself. It's a part of who she was, so I think it's essential for you to know what she went through in her life. Really, honey, keep it. You don't have to read it now, but someday you may want to."
I place the box back on top of the quilt tub. "Okay. If you think so, I'll keep it."
"I know so," she says, kissing me on the cheek. "Oh, I almost forgot! Here are the keys to the garage apartment."
"Nana, I'm only going to be here a few days. Why do I need keys?"
"First of all, I like to keep it locked; there are a lot of odd people up and down that beach. Secondly, I want you to be able to come and go as you choose, without feeling like you're troubling me. Lastly . . ." She pauses and looks at me.
"What? What's the last thing?"
"I want you to stay here. No live here."
"I would love to, but I can't impose on you, especially with all of my emotional baggage."
She grabs hold of both of my hands and squeezes them. "Look, I couldn't take you in when your parents died, because your Grandpa Sam had Parkinson's disease. He required my full attention and care. I finally have the chance to take care of you for a while, even if you are a grown woman, and I could use the company, too. I'm going batty in this big house all by myself. Please, at least consider it."
As she looks at me, waiting for an answer, I contemplate my options. Whether I go back home or stay here, I'll still have to live with someone until I find a job and save some money. Here, I will have an amazing room and almost as much privacy as I had when I lived on my own. I could just stay for a few months, at leastmaybe until the end of the summer. There are some little shops downtown, so I may be able to find a job to earn some money. At the end of the summer, I'll decide if I want to go back home or not.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but . . . okay. I'll stay," I say, immediately wondering if I am doing the right thing.
She wraps her arms around me so tight that I can hardly breathe. "I'm so glad! It's going to be so nice having you here!"
"Just make me one promise."
She finally pulls back from her embrace. "What's that?"
"Promise me that you'll cancel your plans of fattening me up." I wink.
"You've got a deal. I'll only bake a cake or cookies every other day."
All I can do is laugh.
I pick up the big bin with my mom's box on top, and I trudge back to the garage. I'll certainly get some exercise after walking up and down the stairs to my bedroom several times a day. I get in my room and begin making the bed. I still can't believe I agreed to live here, but I just couldn't say no to her. It's not like I won't be comfortable; this room is incredible.
I look out the french doors toward
"What is all this stuff?"
"These are some things that he gave her and the journal I gave her just before they met. I don't know a lot of the particular details, but I know that after he and your mom broke up, I noticed that all of these things were gone. I had assumed that she either threw them all away, burned them, or whatever it is that angry teenagers do when they go through a break up."
I pick up the long-forgotten journal. "So, she wrote about him in here?"
"I honestly never read it, but the simple fact that it's in this box, tells me that she did."
Suddenly, a pang of guilt and shame overcome me. These were my mother's private possessions, and I am looking through them. I immediately put the journal back in the box and put the lid on.
As I pick it up to take it back to the attic, Nana puts her frail hand on the box. "What are you doing?"
"I just don't feel right about this. These were her personal things and her secret thoughts. I'm going to put it back where I found it."
"Laura, just like the locket, I know your mom would have wanted you to have these things. If she were here right now, she would willingly tell you everything in that journal herself. It's a part of who she was, so I think it's essential for you to know what she went through in her life. Really, honey, keep it. You don't have to read it now, but someday you may want to."
I place the box back on top of the quilt tub. "Okay. If you think so, I'll keep it."
"I know so," she says, kissing me on the cheek. "Oh, I almost forgot! Here are the keys to the garage apartment."
"Nana, I'm only going to be here a few days. Why do I need keys?"
"First of all, I like to keep it locked; there are a lot of odd people up and down that beach. Secondly, I want you to be able to come and go as you choose, without feeling like you're troubling me. Lastly . . ." She pauses and looks at me.
"What? What's the last thing?"
"I want you to stay here. No live here."
"I would love to, but I can't impose on you, especially with all of my emotional baggage."
She grabs hold of both of my hands and squeezes them. "Look, I couldn't take you in when your parents died, because your Grandpa Sam had Parkinson's disease. He required my full attention and care. I finally have the chance to take care of you for a while, even if you are a grown woman, and I could use the company, too. I'm going batty in this big house all by myself. Please, at least consider it."
As she looks at me, waiting for an answer, I contemplate my options. Whether I go back home or stay here, I'll still have to live with someone until I find a job and save some money. Here, I will have an amazing room and almost as much privacy as I had when I lived on my own. I could just stay for a few months, at leastmaybe until the end of the summer. There are some little shops downtown, so I may be able to find a job to earn some money. At the end of the summer, I'll decide if I want to go back home or not.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but . . . okay. I'll stay," I say, immediately wondering if I am doing the right thing.
She wraps her arms around me so tight that I can hardly breathe. "I'm so glad! It's going to be so nice having you here!"
"Just make me one promise."
She finally pulls back from her embrace. "What's that?"
"Promise me that you'll cancel your plans of fattening me up." I wink.
"You've got a deal. I'll only bake a cake or cookies every other day."
All I can do is laugh.
I pick up the big bin with my mom's box on top, and I trudge back to the garage. I'll certainly get some exercise after walking up and down the stairs to my bedroom several times a day. I get in my room and begin making the bed. I still can't believe I agreed to live here, but I just couldn't say no to her. It's not like I won't be comfortable; this room is incredible.
I look out the french doors toward
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