“Eighteen,” he answered before kneeling down on one knee and taking her frail hand within his much larger hands. “It is nice to meet you.” It was a smooth move made to charm that both surprised and annoyed me. I was so going to disown her if she fell for it.

“Likewise.” Her smile was bashful and lit up her face clearly enjoying the attention.

“Give me a break,” Willow muttered.

“Hush and you might learn something,” she berated and shot her a scathing look. She “Tell me, what are your intentions with my granddaughter. She’s never had a boyfriend, you know.”

“Yes, ma’am. I am aware.”

“And did you have anything to do with that?”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a half grin. “I might have.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s mine.” Any moment now the ground would disappear from beneath my feet and I could escape this nightmare.

“Is that so?” She regarded him curiously before seemingly deciding something. “They say there is a thin line between love and hate. Do you know what that means?”

“No.”

“It means that two people are too dumb and too blind to know the difference.”

He cocked his head to the side. “So what should we do?”

“Get your shit together, man. And take care of my Lake or leave her alone.” Well I’ll be damned. She didn’t fail me after all.  She turned at the sound of Dash snickering and lifted an eyebrow. “Same goes for you, pretty boy. I see the way you look at Willow and the way she tries to avoid you. I pretty sure your mother told you at least once that there would one day be that special woman one day who wouldn’t be fooled by your bullshit.”

“I’m uh, sure there was a time or two.”

“Smart woman. Are your parents still together?”

“Yes, ma’am though she threatens to divorce him often.”

“I’m sure. You come from money, don’t you? I can smell it on you.”

“My dad does okay.” Dash shrugged nonchalantly but I could see that the question bugged him.

“But not you?”

“It’s his empire. I’m just a freeloader until I can earn my keep.”

“So there is something to you other than your looks.”

“I like to think so.”

“Yet, she still won’t give you a chance…” she whispered knowingly. He averted his gazed at Willow with longing heavy in his eyes before his jaw hardened in anger.

“No. She won’t,” he stated while his gaze remained on Willow.

“So you’re going to force her, is that right?” Her blunt question threw us all for surprise. Dash’s eyes flew back to Grandma Lane while Willow shifted uncomfortably. He met her stare but rather than deny it he remained silent. “I should hope that if we meet again, that I will have a better impression of the two of you. Don’t let me down.”

I noticed the fatigue setting in and figured it was time to end our visit so she could rest. “Guys, I’ll meet you at the car. I just want to say goodbye to her.”

The three of them left the room after saying good-bye and I helped my grandmother over to her bed. She must have really been tired because she didn’t fuss over the help as usual.

“Thank you dear. There is nothing like old age for the muscles.”

“It seems to make you feistier too.”

“Now don’t go getting your knickers in a bunch. Those boys needed to be brought to heel. If only your father was here to meet that man of yours.”

“Why is that?”

“Because those two couldn’t be more opposite. Your father was a gentle soul. Both him and your mother. They would probably faint if they knew their baby girl was in love with a guy like him.”

“We never said –”

“Just because you haven’t spoken it doesn’t mean you don’t feel it.”

“I don’t understand much of what I feel or think these days.”

“Honey… that is just your heart holding on to what your brain is saying you can’t have.”

“So which should I listen to?”

“Whichever feels right. You don’t need to understand it. Trust in yourself. That’s all you can do.” She closed her eyes, fatigue taking over so I tucked her in and rose from my chair.

I was placing the picture I brought with me on her nightstand when I noticed a photo of my mother that wasn’t there before, resting on the wooden top. She was dressed in a pretty sundress, her blonde hair falling around her shoulders and I could tell it was a summer picture.

She was standing in front of the beautiful brick house I once called home…and holding a baby I knew to be myself. Her smile alone gave the picture life as she looked down at me clutching the top of her dress and looking back up at her, a grin expanding my chubby cheeks.

By the age of eight I had plenty of memories of my parents and in none of them could I ever remember not feeling loved. I remember my mother crying the day they left. My father almost canceled the entire trip.

“Did my parents leave me?” I asked before I could rethink or stop myself.

“They will never leave you, Lake.” The pain in her voice was evident. She was fighting to hold onto to her memory while I had long since let them both go. Though she never talked about my mom either I know she misses her. I never thought about how hard it must be to lose a child and not know why.