Fourth Down Baby: A May-December Romance (6 page)

M
y heart's
in my throat as the rental car pulls up in front of the house, and for the first time in five years, I get to see Whitney in the flesh. She's beautiful, and my heart aches when I think about how stupid I was, going along with her plan to run away to Europe in order to prevent Troy Wood from finding out about her pregnancy.

I mean, I was able to handle being a teen mom, and from what I know, Whitney's done a great job as a young mother too. And while he and I haven't run into each other, Troy's grown into a man who makes me understand what Whitney saw in him back in high school. Why in the world did I let my daughter slip from my life for so long?

The back door of the car opens, and what comes flying out is even better than seeing Whitney, as Laurie, my granddaughter, comes running up the front lawn, her blonde hair streaming behind her. “Grandma!”

She leaps into my arms, and I hug her tightly, warmth filling me as she rains kisses down on my cheeks. Laurie and I have talked before. We talk almost weekly over Skype, but it's the first time I've gotten to actually touch her, and I have to struggle to hold back tears.

“Mom,” a quiet voice says, and I set Laurie down, looking at Whitney. Up close, she's so different, more confident than she was at eighteen, and my heart aches again. She's become so beautiful. I can't help it any longer. I'm crying as I pull her into an embrace, and Whitney's crying too, the two of us clinging to each other as Laurie stands back, a concerned look on her face. “Oh, Mom, I've missed you so much.”

“Whitney, oh baby . . . I've missed you too.” I sniffle, pushing her back a little so I can take a look at her. She's so beautiful, and so much like how I was at her age. “And I'm sorry.”

Whitney shakes her head, dismissing it. “Mom, what we did five years ago . . . it doesn't matter anymore. We're going to be moving forward from here though, right?”

I nod and take her by the hand. Laurie, on her part, hops up and down, tugging at my fingers. “Yes, sweetie?”

“Grandma, where's the bathroom?” Laurie asks. “I gotta pee.”

I laugh. It's just so innocent. “Come on. We'll get you inside so you can take care of that.”

Inside, I point down the hall to the bathroom, and she runs off again, leaving me and Whitney alone in the front entryway. “Mom . . . thank you,” she says, looking around. “Uhm, I guess you should know, but Lorenzo's probably going to go back to Italy. He and I fought last night after dinner.”

“I thought as much when he wasn't in the car with you two,” I reply, sighing. “Want to tell me what about?”

“He wants to be more than business partners,” Whitney says simply, and I let it drop. I can tell she doesn’t want to talk about it. “Do you mind if Laurie and I stay here a while? Just until we get things figured out.”

I hug Whitney again and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Honey, that's the best thing I've heard in months. You two stay as long as you want.”

We get things moved in, Whitney setting up her old room and putting Laurie in with her while I get dinner made. Laurie's eyes go wide when I show her that I made hamburgers for dinner, and she looks at Whitney with a huge grin.

Whitney pauses and folds her hands for me to say grace. When I don't, she gives me a startled glance. “That's different.”

“I still say grace most of the time, but I don't know,” I admit, watching as Laurie goes through her hamburger at a speed that would make the Tasmanian Devil jealous. “It just hasn't seemed as important as before.”

“But you're still going to church?” Whitney asks. “You said you're helping out at the Sunday School.”

“I am. You know, if you're going to stick around in town a while, Laurie could do preschool there. I help out at Sunday School because . . . well, I like the kids, that's all.”

Whitney takes a bite of her burger, then looks over at Laurie. “What do you say, honey? Would you like to try out a new school for a little while?”

Laurie nods and grins, then goes back to her burger.

* * *

A
fter Laurie goes to sleep
, Whitney and I sit up, sharing a small bottle of red wine that she brought from Italy. “I'm going to miss these,” she says as she sips. “I guess I'll be content with California reds from now on.”

“So you are planning on making this full-time?” I ask, hope in my chest. “I'd like that, you know.”

Whitney nods and sets her glass down. “Laurie needs to be raised with more family than just me. She needs more than just talking to her grandmother over Skype. I need you in my life more too. Dani's invitation was just the catalyst I needed to get my butt in gear and get back here.”

“Dani's wedding . . . it seems so strange,” I muse, sipping my wine. It's another change I've made. Back when Whitney was in high school, I'd never touch the stuff except for communion. “When she brought my invitation by, I swear she hasn't changed. She could pull out her old cheerleading uniform and look like she's ready to be back on the sidelines in about five minutes.”

Whitney laughs softly, then shakes her head. “Nah, but I bet Pete wouldn't mind seeing her in that little skirt we used to wear. Knowing Dani, she's probably still got it somewhere just for that reason.”

I blush at the allusion, and Whitney chuckles. “Mom, I'm not eighteen anymore, and I guess I'm a little more open than I used to be.”

“I can appreciate that,” I tell her, taking another sip of wine. “As long as you know to watch yourself around Laurie. I'd prefer if she didn't continue the teen mom trend we've started. I think our ignoring that side of ourselves is what helped create the problem.”

“Maybe,” Whitney says, musing. “I wanted to ask you something. What do you think about my reaching out to Troy Wood? He gave me his phone number, and I'm torn about it. I mean, Laurie should get to know her father.”

“If you want my opinion . . . you should. He's got a flawless reputation around town, and I think it was a mistake waiting this long. So if you bring him by some time, I promise that I'll be nicer to him than I was five years ago.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Whitney says. “On another note . . . are you coming to the wedding?”

I nod and smile. I can't help it. Maybe I'm chasing a little fantasy, but maybe Cory will be there. I've never told Whitney about it—it's just a foolish woman's little fantasy. Sure, he asked me to coffee the last time he was in town, but there's no way he'd still be interested in me. “I'll go. I can't promise the reception, but I'll go.”

“Great. You can help me with the horrible dress Mrs. Barkovich picked out. Dani sent me a picture. I'm going to need a barf bag for that thing.”

* * *

I
see
what Whitney means as she and the other bridesmaids stand at the front of the church, which is blissfully cool instead of stifling like it is outside. Ninety-five in August. No wonder so many weddings are starting to take place in the fall and winter.

Whitney gives me a smile as she goes by in her green and pink taffeta monster, and Laurie, who's wearing her best Easter dress and has been shifting around already for five minutes, tugs on my arm. “Why is Mama dressed like a wad of taffy candy?”

“Shh, Laurie.” I chuckle, patting her knee. “We can talk about it later, I promise.”

The groomsmen are next down the aisle, and I feel a warm tingle inside me as I see Cory walking in behind Troy, who dwarfs everyone else as he comes in. I feel bad for Pete Barkovich. It's his day, but Troy's a star, and even though he's trying to be inconspicuous, when you're a League player in a small town like Silver Lake Falls, you get noticed.

Still, despite having a millionaire in the group, my eyes are fixed on Cory as he walks in behind Troy. He reaches the front and as he turns, his eyes meet mine, and there's a spark between us. He's matured, from a boy into a man, and that man . . . is the sort of man I've always dreamed of. Even in high school, he had that sort of suave aura to him, but now, with five years of maturity under his belt, I can't help it—my heart's speeding up.

“Hi,” Cory mouths to me, and I know I'm blushing.

“Hi,” I mouth back with a little smile, but before I can continue, the music starts, and Pete comes in on his part before Dani comes down, an angel in sleek white, a beautiful bride.

During the ceremony, Laurie tries her best, but she's little, and all the music and talking is boring to her, and she's constantly fidgeting. “When will they be finished?” she asks, and I have to chuckle when I see Whitney's eyes flicker over. “They've been talking
forever
.”

“Just a few more minutes, sweetheart,” I promise her, giving the top of her head a kiss. “Then we can get out and maybe have a party.”

I notice something when I look up front again, and it's not Dani or Pete, who looks like he's so happy he's about to burst, and they haven't even exchanged rings yet. Instead, I see Whitney looking across the aisle at Troy, who's looking back at her with an intensity that confirms something that I've suspected since soon after Whit and Laurie moved back in. There’s still something between them.

I look at Cory, who's still giving me glances from time to time, but I can’t help but feel a bit of sadness. Not for him—Whitney and Troy are going to have their coming together again. I can see it. I should’ve fought for her to stay to begin with. She was just eighteen. I was the adult.

Laurie tugs on my hand again and breaks me out of my thoughts, and I make my decision. “Laurie, if you can stay still, I'll take you home and you can watch the new Disney movie that you asked me to pick up the other day. Like five more minutes, okay, sweetie?”

“Can I have Froot Loops?” Laurie asks, and I nod. “Okay.”

Dani and Pete kiss and leave the church, followed by the wedding parties, and afterward, I find Whitney outside the church. She's already changed into the cocktail dress she's wearing for the reception, and I'm struck again at how beautiful my daughter is. “It was a good wedding,” I tell her, watching as Laurie comes out of the changing room in her jeans and t-shirt, “but I think Laurie and I will give it a pass.”

“Really, Mom? I mean, it's not going to go on too late, and you could have fun,” Whitney says, but I can tell her heart's not in it. She's thinking of Troy, and I know it'll be easier for her if Laurie and I aren't there. I can't fault her. She has to be nearly paralyzed with a mix of fear and anticipation.

“There's going to be drinking, and while I’m glad that Danielle is getting married, this is a party for you and her. Besides, I've got work tomorrow, and a certain little girl should go to bed early. Have fun." Okay, so the part about the drinking sounds a little hypocritical, but I'm ad-libbing.

"I love you, Mom," Whitney says, and we hug. "Oh, and one more thing. No Froot Loops before bed, no matter how much Laurie begs this time? She can't have all that sugar."

"You did okay on Froot Loops," I complain, but not too harshly. Seriously, a few Froot Loops won't be too bad, right? But I've come to respect Whitney, not just as a woman but as a mother, and I'll do my best to follow her wishes.

* * *

I
help Laurie into bed
, making sure that the blanket isn't too tightly tucked around her and that she's comfortable before I go out to the living room. It's the first night that we have had alone, and before she fell asleep, we read her picture book of
Frozen
twice before she finally nodded off. Now, in the living room, I sit back on the couch, sighing happily.