“Your family’s grown,” Bethanne continued. “You can come for visits and vice versa.”
“My friends are in Seattle.”
“Same goes for them. Plus you’ll make new friends and reconnect with old ones.” Bethanne leaned over and squeezed her arm. “Do you love Royce?”
“With all my heart, and he loves me.”
“Then you’ll work something out.”
Ruth went very still. “I wish it was that simple. I think these weeks apart will be good for us. They’ll give us time to mull over some decisions.”
“They will,” Bethanne agreed, although she hoped Ruth would be more successful at reaching a conclusion than she’d been.
Grant sat with Annie across the aisle, and they had their heads close together almost the entire flight. More than once Grant laughed out loud at something Annie said, and she basked in her father’s approval. There was no sign of the angry, rebellious girl Annie had been at sixteen.
Bethanne took the opportunity to knit, while Ruth watched a movie. When they landed in Seattle, Andrew was waiting in baggage claim. Bethanne’s spirits rose the instant she saw her son.
“Andrew,” she said, rushing forward. Her six-foot-tall son threw his arms around her and lifted her from the ground.
“Welcome home,” he said.
“It’s good to be back.” Bethanne felt as though she’d been away far longer than eighteen days. She wanted to unpack her suitcase the minute she stepped into the house and start a load of laundry. And then she’d walk from room to room in a small private ritual she had, something she did whenever she’d been traveling. She’d touch all the things she loved the most, the objects and pictures and mementos that made this house her home, the one place on earth where she truly belonged and that belonged to her.
“I thought your father phoned and told you he was giving me a ride.” Bethanne slipped her arm around Andrew’s waist.
“He did and I told him if he’d ordered a car, he should take care of Grandma and Annie. I said I’d drive you home. He didn’t mention it?”
“No.” But they’d barely spoken once they arrived at the Orlando airport. Bethanne had bought a Sudoku puzzle book and a couple of magazines after they’d checked their luggage and gone through security. She’d read the magazines while they waited at the gate, and on the plane he’d sat with Annie. As soon as they were airborne, Bethanne had taken out her knitting and finished her project.
Grant hugged his son, too, and although Andrew hugged him back, Bethanne noticed a decided coolness in her son’s attitude toward his father. Grant still had work to do if he hoped to repair that relationship.
Father and son collected the suitcases from the baggage carousel, while Annie sought out the driver Grant had arranged.
“Bethanne,” Ruth said, clasping Bethanne’s elbows. “I can’t thank you enough. This was the trip of a lifetime for me.”
“I’m grateful, too,” Grant told Bethanne. He hugged her before they parted. “Would you like to go to dinner Tuesday night?”
After all the meals out, she’d prefer to stay in but hated to disappoint Grant. “That would be nice.”
“We still have things to talk about.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you Tuesday, then.”
“Perfect. I’ll call first.”
As Bethanne and Andrew started toward the parking garage, Annie found them. “Mom, I had a great time. Thanks so much.”
“Thank your grandmother.”
“I will. I’ll see you Tuesday at the office, okay? Bye, Andrew. Talk soon.”
Bethanne had decided they should take Monday off to deal with chores and relax before going back to work. She nodded, readjusted her purse strap across her shoulder. “Bye, sweetie.”
Andrew was quiet on the way to the car. It wasn’t until they’d driven out of the parking garage that he spoke. “Are you okay, Mom?”
“Of course.”
He glanced at her. “Frankly, you don’t look that good.”
“Thanks a lot,” she said humorously. Leave it to her son to be that blunt. “I’m fine… Oh, Andrew, I’m afraid I’ve met someone I…really like.”
“Believe me, I’ve heard all about Max from Annie. Even Dad called me because he was worried. I’m glad. He could use a bit of competition.”
“Have I lost my mind?” she asked. “Just when it looks like everything’s coming together for your dad and me, I meet Max.” She valued her son’s opinion; Andrew knew her better than anyone.
“You haven’t lost your mind, Mom. You’re too down-to-earth for that.”
She immediately felt a sense of relief. “What seems to bother everyone is that I know so little about him. The crazy part is that it doesn’t seem to matter. I know what’s important—that he loved his wife and that he’s a good person, a really good person with a big heart.”
“Then that’s enough for me, too.”
“Thank you.” She meant that in the most profound way. She was grateful for his kindness and his faith in her.
“So, what about you and Dad?” Andrew asked next.
If Bethanne had an answer, she wouldn’t be in this emotional mess. “He was wonderful the whole time I spent with him. He realizes what he did was wrong. Now he wants to…start over again.”
“Is that possible, Mom?”
For years she’d been convinced a reconciliation was completely out of the question. Yet over the course of the past week, Grant had proven that he was willing to do whatever it took.