lad, Vi.'" Dad laughs.
I let out a small laugh and look down.
"You're right there, Si." Grammy pats Dad's hand. "Oh, Alec. Excuse my manners, I haven't introduced you to my family."
"It's okay, Vi. You've been looking forward to this for weeks. I'm happy to sit back and let you have your fun." Alec winks at her and she beams.
"Well anyway, this is my daughter, Emily, her husband Si, and my granddaughter Alexis. But she likes to be called Lexy," she adds in a conspiratorial whisper.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Alec says with his eyes fixed on mine.
Did I mention his eyes before? That lovely blue grey colour the sea goes before a storm hits. The kind of colour you could look in anticipation at forever...
"And you," I say politely, a sweet smile on my face. I draw my eyes from his and focus on my pasta.
"So, Alec," Mum begins, "I hope my mother isn't working you too hard. She used to have all of us out there each summer tending to her plants.''
"Oh no ma'am, I don't mind. There's nothing wrong with a bit of hard work..."
I tune out of the conversation and admire Grammy's back garden as I eat. I can see strawberries ready to ripen, blueberries nearly ready for picking, and a lavender plant blooming. The little pond at the end is home to several types of fish, and the wire mesh over the top keeps the cats out.
"Lexy," Dad says disapprovingly.
"I'm sorry." I turn my head back to the conversation.
"Your mother was trying to speak to you."
"Sorry, Mum. What were you saying?" I ask her.
She teases some of her dark hair behind her ear. "I was just wondering why you can't bring a nice boy like Alec home. That last one was dreadful."
I choke on my pasta and Grammy pats my back. I smile gratefully and notice her eyes are twinkling mischievously again. Damn woman!
"Okay, first, we've had this conversation a million times and you know I want my education before I worry about guys, unless the right one comes along. Second, the 'last one', Harry, wasn't my boyfriend. He's gay." I raise my eyebrows. "And third, you've known Alec ten minutes. No offence, I'm sure he's a lovely guy," yeah I bet, "but you don't know him, so can we please stop talking about my relationship status."
Alec laughs. "No offence taken."
Mum shakes her head. "I can't take you anywhere, Lexy."
I motion to Alec. "He already said he didn't take offence to my words."
"I actually respect that," Alec put in, "I don't mean to butt in, but I think it's great you're more worried about your education than having a boyfriend."
"Thank you." I smile at him across the table.
"Oh, dear, that reminds me." Grammy taps the table. "I ran into.. What's her name? The girl you used to play with."
My brow furrows as I think. "Do you mean Jen?"
"Yes!" Grammy claps her hands. "Well I ran into her yesterday at the post office and told her about you coming here for the summer and she said you should give her a call. She gave me her number and I put it somewhere.." Grammy gets up and wanders over to her bag on the counter. She rifles through it.
"You put it on the fridge so you wouldn't lose it, Vi," Alec tells her.
Grammy looks at the fridge and pulls it off. "Here it is. So I did, thank you, Alec."
"Any time," he says sincerely and stands. "Thank you for another lovely meal, Vi, but I better be going before mum wonders where I am." He looks at all of us. "It was lovely to meet you all."
"And you, love," Mum says with a smile. Dad stands and they shake hands. I wave half-heartedly, my attention on the bit of paper Grammy hands me.
"I'm gonna go call her now, okay?" I stand and disappear from the room.
Alec is just leaving as I reach the bottom of the stairs.
"Bye, Lexy." He smiles and shuts the door.
"Yeah, bye," I say after him and bounce up the stairs into my room.
I snatch my phone from my pillow and dial her number.
She picks up after three rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey, is this Jen?"
"Yeah, who's this? Oh, oh! Lexy, is that you?" she exclaims.
"The one and
I let out a small laugh and look down.
"You're right there, Si." Grammy pats Dad's hand. "Oh, Alec. Excuse my manners, I haven't introduced you to my family."
"It's okay, Vi. You've been looking forward to this for weeks. I'm happy to sit back and let you have your fun." Alec winks at her and she beams.
"Well anyway, this is my daughter, Emily, her husband Si, and my granddaughter Alexis. But she likes to be called Lexy," she adds in a conspiratorial whisper.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Alec says with his eyes fixed on mine.
Did I mention his eyes before? That lovely blue grey colour the sea goes before a storm hits. The kind of colour you could look in anticipation at forever...
"And you," I say politely, a sweet smile on my face. I draw my eyes from his and focus on my pasta.
"So, Alec," Mum begins, "I hope my mother isn't working you too hard. She used to have all of us out there each summer tending to her plants.''
"Oh no ma'am, I don't mind. There's nothing wrong with a bit of hard work..."
I tune out of the conversation and admire Grammy's back garden as I eat. I can see strawberries ready to ripen, blueberries nearly ready for picking, and a lavender plant blooming. The little pond at the end is home to several types of fish, and the wire mesh over the top keeps the cats out.
"Lexy," Dad says disapprovingly.
"I'm sorry." I turn my head back to the conversation.
"Your mother was trying to speak to you."
"Sorry, Mum. What were you saying?" I ask her.
She teases some of her dark hair behind her ear. "I was just wondering why you can't bring a nice boy like Alec home. That last one was dreadful."
I choke on my pasta and Grammy pats my back. I smile gratefully and notice her eyes are twinkling mischievously again. Damn woman!
"Okay, first, we've had this conversation a million times and you know I want my education before I worry about guys, unless the right one comes along. Second, the 'last one', Harry, wasn't my boyfriend. He's gay." I raise my eyebrows. "And third, you've known Alec ten minutes. No offence, I'm sure he's a lovely guy," yeah I bet, "but you don't know him, so can we please stop talking about my relationship status."
Alec laughs. "No offence taken."
Mum shakes her head. "I can't take you anywhere, Lexy."
I motion to Alec. "He already said he didn't take offence to my words."
"I actually respect that," Alec put in, "I don't mean to butt in, but I think it's great you're more worried about your education than having a boyfriend."
"Thank you." I smile at him across the table.
"Oh, dear, that reminds me." Grammy taps the table. "I ran into.. What's her name? The girl you used to play with."
My brow furrows as I think. "Do you mean Jen?"
"Yes!" Grammy claps her hands. "Well I ran into her yesterday at the post office and told her about you coming here for the summer and she said you should give her a call. She gave me her number and I put it somewhere.." Grammy gets up and wanders over to her bag on the counter. She rifles through it.
"You put it on the fridge so you wouldn't lose it, Vi," Alec tells her.
Grammy looks at the fridge and pulls it off. "Here it is. So I did, thank you, Alec."
"Any time," he says sincerely and stands. "Thank you for another lovely meal, Vi, but I better be going before mum wonders where I am." He looks at all of us. "It was lovely to meet you all."
"And you, love," Mum says with a smile. Dad stands and they shake hands. I wave half-heartedly, my attention on the bit of paper Grammy hands me.
"I'm gonna go call her now, okay?" I stand and disappear from the room.
Alec is just leaving as I reach the bottom of the stairs.
"Bye, Lexy." He smiles and shuts the door.
"Yeah, bye," I say after him and bounce up the stairs into my room.
I snatch my phone from my pillow and dial her number.
She picks up after three rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey, is this Jen?"
"Yeah, who's this? Oh, oh! Lexy, is that you?" she exclaims.
"The one and
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