It's All Relative(160)
Shuffling back into the kitchen from her greenhouse, Millie caught her granddaughter staring at the numbers on the microwave, seemingly lost in thought. Not wanting to sneak up on the girl, Millie closed the door rougher than necessary. Jessica Marie started and looked over at her. Then she slapped on a smile that was clearly fake. Millie recognized it; she’d seen the forced happiness on her granddaughter several times over the past few weeks. Come to think of it, she’d seen the same pseudo-smile on Kai the last few weeks, too.
While Millie had the overwhelming feeling that Mason was making things uncomfortable at work for his newfound son—a suspicion that Jessica had confirmed when she’d mentioned that Kai didn’t think his boss liked him—Millie had no clue where her granddaughter’s unhappiness stemmed from. With her age and troubled past love life, Millie suspected a boy was the culprit, although she never heard Jessica mention one. No one but Kai, that was.
“The potatoes are almost ready, Grams,” she effortlessly announced.
Millie narrowed her eyes. While the tone was carefree, the tired look in her eyes couldn’t be erased. Jessica was worn, unhappy, and almost always looked to be on the verge of crying lately. Millie constantly wanted to give her a hug and tell her that nothing in life was ever that bad. Things always had a way of working out, she just needed to be patient. She didn’t say those things though. Jessica would only roll her eyes and tell her nothing was wrong.
Patting her shoulder, Millie laid the bags on the counter. “That’s good, dear. I got us some chives.” She handed the small bowl to Jessica and then grabbed a marker and began labeling the small bags for Kai. Boys usually couldn’t tell herbs apart.
In a nearly wistful voice, her granddaughter said, “Are those for Kai?”
Millie looked up to see if her eyes were filled with as much longing as her voice. Since Jessica was looking down into the chive bowl, she couldn’t be sure. “Yes, dear. Eventually I’ll turn that boy into a good cook. Every man should know how to make a decent meal for his woman.”
She smiled warmly at the thought, but Jessica quickly turned her head away so her thick, curly hair covered her expression. She moved to the fridge and began aimlessly looking through it. “I should get you some groceries soon,” Millie heard her mutter into the cool, refrigerated air.
Even though Jessica couldn’t see her, Millie shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, dear. Kai brings me a bundle almost every time he shows up. Since I don’t eat that much anyway, I don’t think I’ll run out of food anytime soon.”
A soft chuckle escaped her as she remembered Kai repeatedly dropping by with a bag or two on his arm. There was a grocery store close to her place, but the thought of him riding with a bag dangling off his arm always brought a smile to Millie’s face.
Jessica looked up from the fridge to stare at Millie, her expression disbelieving. “Kai brings you food?”
Millie nodded, noting the aged weariness in Jessie’s eyes. It was so similar to Kai’s, like they were both suffering from the same malaise. “Constantly, like he’s worried I’ll starve.” Millie laughed again and rolled her eyes. “If the boy had moved here with something more substantial than a motorcycle, he could save himself some time and bring me a month’s supply at a time.”
A small laugh escaped Jessica and her eyes drifted out of focus, thinking. “Yeah, he does love that bike…”
Watching her musing granddaughter, Millie shrugged and sighed. “That probably wouldn’t stop him from dropping in daily though. The boy has a heart as big as yours.” Jessica’s eyes refocused on Millie, and Millie swore she saw tiny tears in them. Sighing again, she added, “The two of you are almost a perfect match. I’m a very lucky woman, to be surrounded by such warmth.”
Jessica swallowed and looked away again. Her hand went up to her cheek, and if Millie didn’t know any better, she’d swear the girl was crying. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Millie peeked around to examine her face. “You all right, dear?” She might deny her unhappiness, but she couldn’t deny tears.
Brushing her cheeks in a telltale sign of crying, Jessica Marie gave her a sad smile. “Of course. I’m just…I’m leaving town for a few days…and I’m going to worry about you.”
Millie smiled and gave her a warm hug. “Oh, dear, don’t you worry your pretty little head about me. You go out and have a good time with the life you’ve been given.” They pulled apart and Jessica sheepishly brushed her cheeks dry again. “Where are you off to?” Millie asked, swiping away the final remnants of her tears.
Jessica let out a dreary sigh. “My roommates and I are going skiing next weekend. Things have sort of been…awkward lately, so we’re having a little vacation.”
She sighed again and Millie wasn’t sure if she was sighing over Millie being without her for a few days, or sighing over whatever girl spat had occurred. Knowing how catty girls could be sometimes, Millie brightened. She suddenly understood one of the reasons for her granddaughter’s mood lately. As Jessica started pulling out toppings for the potato bar they were having tonight, Millie thought about her upcoming ski trip.
It was a common thing for youngsters to do around here. Millie herself had frequently enjoyed the slopes in her youth. The whole family used to go up to the mountains when all her children were still around. Every single one of them had loved it. In fact, there was only one family member Millie knew of who didn’t ski. And he didn’t ski simply because he’d lived his entire life in an area that never received snowfall. But she knew for a fact that he wanted to ski, and what better way for him to learn, then under the tutelage of his cousin?