Lily White Lies(78)
“Coming! Coming!”
My legs felt terribly heavy, as I made my way to the door. Dressed in little more than a nightshirt, I looked out the peephole to find Charlotte looking in. I opened the door and pulled her in by her sleeve before a neighbor spied me in my underwear.
“What time is it? Were we supposed to meet this morning?”
“Seven-thirty and no.”
I gave her a dumbfounded glance and returned to my spot on the couch, covering myself up to my neck with a quilt.
I mumbled, “What are you doing here so early?”
Flopping into the recliner, she replied, “I thought I’d catch you playing honeymoon.” Glancing around the room, she added, “Guess not.”
“Where’s Cory?”
“She’s getting ready for a big meeting with her father. I think she was up all night. She’s nervous, anxious and scared; I’ve never seen her like this before.”
Propping up slightly, I said, “I wonder what that’s all about.”
Charlotte shrugged. “Actually, I thought I’d come by and see if you needed a hand getting settled.”
Other than what I’d wear today, I hadn’t given any thought to putting my things away. I found the thought of living out of the boxes more appealing than the task of emptying them.
I teased, “If you could find the box with my deodorant in it, I’d be forever grateful.”
Ignoring my remark, Charlotte stared, questioning me with her eyes.
“What?” I moaned.
She stuck out her lower lip and giving me puppy dog eyes, said, “I’d tell you.”
I pulled the quilt over my head and immediately flung it off. “There’s nothing to tell. I’m great... he’s great... I’m in love...”
Charlotte’s cocked her head to one side. “Really? The ‘L’ word?”
I had verbally admitted to something that I had refused to admit to consciously until this moment. I looked at her and nodded my head slowly. “Yeah... I believe I am.”
She stood and absent-mindedly began to root through boxes.
“How is that going to sit with the families?”
Her last question woke me up faster than and alarm clock. I threw off the quilt and headed to the kitchen to make coffee.
I replied, “Well, I had the misfortune of meeting his grandfather yesterday. I find it amazing that someone hasn’t killed that man yet.”
Charlotte laughed. “That bad?”
“Worse!” I shook my head in an exaggerated motion. “He talked about me as if I weren't even in the room, chastised Con for not visiting enough and basically said Con was an all-around lousy grandson. He accused him of treason.”
“He got into it with his grandfather? In front of you?”
“No, that’s the thing. He sat there cool as a freeze-pop and I’m the one who lost it.”
“No way!”
I affirmed, “I called him mean and hateful and told him that I was sorry I came... all the things that would ensure a place on the outside looking in.”
“Who cares what his grandfather thinks anyway?”
I pulled out a chair and sat with my legs crossed. “It’s not that I care what he thinks as much as I was hoping he could answer some questions. I’d ask my grandparent’s but I don’t think the answers will come any easier there.”
Charlotte’s face took on a serious expression, as she said, “Meg, I’m not saying that what happened in the past isn’t important; all I’m saying is that you should be concentrating on the future. If you find out what happened, great.” She patted my hand. “But if you don’t, so what. If the two of you are happy with each other, isn’t that what’s really important?”
“I not looking for their approval, I’m looking for the truth.” I searched her eyes for understanding. “I feel like I can’t completely commit to a future with anyone, until I’ve filled in the holes of my past.”
Seeing my frustration, Charlotte said, “Okay, let’s figure this out. I remember you saying that your grandfather was once involved with Con’s grandmother. Could Con and his mother be right? I mean, could she have done it and your grandfather take the blame?”
“But why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, old flame... maybe he still had something for her... maybe being admirable and noble...”
“No. First of all, no matter how he may have felt about Gayle fifty years ago, I can’t imagine him giving up twenty some years of his life for a lost love. Besides, if he had done that for her, my grandmother wouldn’t have waited for him all those years, she would have killed him when he got out.”