My Grandmother's eyes go wide for a moment before she narrows them at me. She takes a moment to quickly glance at Silas and then back to me, her face nervous as she takes a sip from her glass, the sweetness giving her a momentary reprieve.
"Grammy! I know you didn't come just to apologize. What's going on?"
"Can I talk to you alone, Adrian?"
"No." Silas and I answer at the same time, my Daddy slipping an arm around my waist and drawing me close to him before leaning back against the counter, both of us taking big gulps of our tea at the look Grammy does her best to pin us down with.
"The last time I left you alone with Addy you made him cry. And that won't ever be forgiven." Silas states with a finality that warms the pit of my stomach, his protectiveness of me part of what drives me so wild, "Whatever you want to talk about you can do it in front of me."
Grammy averts her eyes with a shyness not commonly found in my Grandmother and fiddles with her hands in a way that makes my stomach drop from my belly down to my knees when she opens her mouth to finally speak.
...
Silas
...
"Well... Honey. I was talking to Quinn last night.." More likely bullying the annoying pup in an effort to pump him for information on my beautiful mate, searching for a reason other than her own faults that my Addy Baby cut off contact, "And. And he said that you might be-"
Before she can finish her sentence the glass that had been so firmly nestled in my sweet boy's grasp slips away from him and jumps to the floor, shattering upon contact and sending shards of glass everywhere.
"Grammy, stop talking! Right now!" Any other time my baby would be flustered over breaking the glass itself, he had chipped a bowl the other morning and had a complete meltdown over 'breaking' something that had originally been mine. It had taken hours of me reassuring him that that dishes here are ours now and it didn't matter if one breaks here or there. At the moment he seems more horrified by whatever information Agatha is sitting on that the two of them share but I am not in on.
"Well obviously, Hun. We can finish after we get this cleaned up." It's with a sigh that Agatha sets her glass down and shuffles a bit closer, careful not to crush any of the glass with her shoes and bends over to start grabbing the bugger shards of the broken tumbler, my own hands joining her after lifting my jelly bean onto the counter for safekeeping and to prevent his precious little feet from getting cut.
"No! No! I think maybe you should go and I'll call you."
...
Adrian
...
Grammy straightens up as if I've slapped her, her hand coming up to clutch her collar bone in the offense. She was about to mention the pregnancy test that I asked Quinn to get for me at the store in confidence. The only people who were meant to know about the feeling I have deep down in my gut are Casper, Quinn, and myself. I don't want Silas to get his hopes up if there isn't any need to.
"But-"
"Grammy. The book club was meant to be a secret and even if Quinn told you he was coming over to say he actually hadn't shown up yet. You're just a bit early if you know what I mean. So once Quinn and I go over the details this afternoon I'll call you and let you know when to come back over." It's not the most subtle code, but it serves its purpose. Substituting the words book club in my mind for pregnancy test has been working so far to keep the love of my life from catching on that for the last few days I've felt extra sensitive to his touch... That my body seems just a little different than before... Even if it's too early to really happen, a little thicker and fuller than before Silas swept me off my feet and brought me home.
Thankfully Grammy understands the code, her eyebrows shooting for her hairline as she tosses her handful of glass into the trash with a smile on her face, "Oh! You're right. I should go. I just wanted to stop by and see if I would get to be included... In the book club. If I would get to know the book..."
In other words... Quinn had told her about the pregnancy tests and she started to wonder if she would have a place in her great grandchild's life... And the fear of it moved her so much she was willing to apologize to the man that stole me away from her and try to be civil.
As hard and tough as she pretends to be deep down Agatha Pine has one of the biggest hearts, even if it is misguided most of the time.
Deep down she's still the Grammy that used to stroke my hair while reciting lines from my favorite storybooks while getting driven around the block in circles for hours just to soothe me.
...
Silas
...
I had overheard my baby boy thinking about a possible book club for the last few days, but he hadn't had the nerve to ask me about it yet, and I hadn't felt the need to force him. It's up to him whether or not he wants to socialize, and as long as it's a healthy environment for him to be in I won't ever tell him he can't... I just don't know if I want him to try and host his little club here or whether or not Casper and Liam can be persuaded into hosting it at their place nearer the center of town.
That too would have its drawbacks... But we would go through less gardenia oil and wouldn't have to air the house out as often if we can limit the amount of traffic that passes through our haven, even if it is just my Honey Bun's friends.
Looking up from abandoning my own handful of glass and grab a few kitchen towels from the drawer next to the stove and tossing them on the spilled liquid I spy the sincerest of smiles coupled with a truly radiating warmth from my beautiful Princess where he stays perched, his eyes soft as he eyes the woman who raised him, "Of course you'll be included. You just have to remember to be nice to Daddy and there will always be room for you in every book club, Grammy."
"Did you just call him Daddy?"