Grandma paid no attention to Mom and waited for Uncle Bollard to respond. When he did, he shook his head slowly, and I couldn’t tell if he was responding to the inquiry about the cat or out of pity for Grandma’s delusions.
Grandma stared sadly at her plate. “That’s a shame. I’m sure he missed his mother.”
“No. I’m sure the cat and mother are both fine,” Mom said. “Right, Uncle?”
Dad, over his limit for the morning, rolled his eyes and mouthed the words, ‘Don’t encourage her’ to himself. Bowing aside, Dad believed we needed to ground Grandma in reality. To him, supporting a modern-day Prince of France hurt more than helped.
Uncle Bollard's eyes fell on Dad and then back to Grandma. “It’s fine. Life can be cruel sometimes. Isn’t that true, my dear Helena?” The table got quiet then. I mean, as a spectator, what the heck are you supposed to say to any of that?
“We appreciate all you have done, Uncle,” Mom said after a few tense minutes. “I don’t know what we would do without your help.”
“Helena deserves the best,” Great-uncle Bollard said.
“Dr. Seabury is wonderful,” Mom replied.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on!”
The whole table turned to me. “Sorry, it’s just—Uncle, I have to be honest with you. I don’t believe Grandma has Alzheimer’s.”
Dad’s finger drumming grew so loud, so fast, it stopped me from continuing. Mom took his hand, and she whispered a bit too loudly, “Matthew, please. We’ve discussed this. It’s healthy that a teenage girl would want to advocate for a beloved family member; it's a sign of her budding independence and her journey to become a woman.”
I cringed. My parents might as well be talking about my bowel movements; it would be less embarrassing than my budding anything.
With his other hand, Dad picked up his coffee mug but didn’t drink. “We’ve been through all of this, kiddo,” he said, ignoring Mom. “Most of life is rather mundane, and most mysteries have plain, uneventful explanations. Things aren’t like the movies. It’s not as romantic or interesting. Life is usually exactly as it seems.”
“Or it isn’t,” Bollard said cryptically; I looked up at him in astonishment. Did Uncle Bollard take my side? It was a little hint, a small glimmer of hope that I wasn’t alone with believing Grandma had the wrong diagnosis.
“You can’t weigh in on this because you haven’t been here, Bollard.” Dad put his coffee down with such force, droplets of coffee fell onto our untouched plates.
“For once I agree. My family here knows so little about me apart from my sister, and to her, I am a haze of who I really am,” Uncle Bollard said. “I would like to change this. What do you say, Waverly?”
“Wait, you would stay here with us in Barton?”
Dad and Uncle Bollard said no at the same time.
“You would come with me,” Uncle Bollard said.
My time in Barton was limited—it had to be with college—but this? I didn’t know how to respectfully respond to my great-uncle. It was nice for him to offer me a job and a chance to get to know him, but he was essentially a stranger. I mean, we didn’t even know where he lived.
“Not ready at all. She’s still seventeen and going to college in the fall.” Dad aggressively picked up his fork and chopped into his breakfast. “We need to eat.”
“I turn eighteen in a few weeks,” I corrected Dad, for I had no desire to be referred to as a child. “I’m practically an adult.”
“Adults don’t rush into decisions, honey,” Mom said.
I turned to Uncle Bollard. “So, do you think it’s Alzheimer’s or something else?”
“It is worth investigating,” Bollard explained. He touched the table and pulled his hands away, and he took a kerchief from his coat and wiped his hands. “You could consult with experts. I have an entire staff at my disposal.”
“So, you work in the medical field?” asked Mom, attempting to get her answer. “Because Waverly has no business in the medical field at this point. She doesn’t have the education for it.”
“Not medical,” Uncle Bollard uttered with a scowl. “But lucrative.”
“She’ll take my place as the second heiress to the Kingdom of America,” Grandma said, taking my hand in hers. “I dreamt this day would come. Such a wonderful girl. You’ll make me so proud.”
I loved Grandma so much. I wanted to make her proud, and taking care of her was the way to do it. I couldn’t leave, not before I helped Grandma. Anything more would feel wrong, but I wasn’t getting anywhere in Barton.
Dad threw his hands in the air. “Good God!”
“Yes, Helena. She will make us all proud,” Bollard told her.
Grandma continued, “Bollie, there’s something that concerns me. There is a new man in town, and I’m certain he hasn’t been vetted.”
I looked around for poor Kevin, and it was then I noticed the restaurant. In the heat of the conversation, I hadn’t paid attention to the rest of the diner. The whole place had cleared out. Everyone was gone. Everyone. How in the world had I missed them all leaving? “Where is everyone?” I asked, stunned.
Bollard ignored me and responded to Grandma. “I will look into it, dear sister. Matthew and Simone, you have reservations about this offer, but this is up to my niece,” he said. “I will visit your residence tomorrow to discuss this further.” And then to me, only me, for I was sure somehow, I was the only person at the table who heard him, Bollard said, “If you come with me, I promise to clarify everything you want to know about Helena. I will honor your decision, Waverly.”
Chapter 2
Since Farts Were Cool
My mattress springs sagged and jolted with the same throbbing pace as my budding headache. Even with my limited hours of sleep, I knew enough to roll over to escape the impending feet from hitting me. I pulled my comforter up over my head. “Go away, Sasha.”
“No can do, Wav-a-reno.” Sasha flopped down next
