They’d started with the usual childhood bedtime stories and nursery rhymes but they’d quickly gotten to Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, A Little Princess, The Chronicles of Narnia, Little House on the Prairie and Nancy Drew. They’d read The Diary of Anne Frank together, a first for both of them, and gone on to read other classics that Didi hadn’t read before, discussing them under the down comforter in their own little world. It had been their own tiny book club and Whitney would always be grateful to Didi for her love of reading.
“What are you reading?” she asked, moving into the room.
Didi looked up and smiled. She turned the book so Whitney could see the front. “I’ve had this book forever, but I don’t think I’ve read it.”
It was Anne of Green Gables. Whitney kicked her shoes off, making sure they landed over near Didi’s armchair and out of the path Didi would take from the bed to the door when she got up in the night. Whitney pulled her blouse from the waistband of her skirt as she joined Didi on the bed, sliding in next to her, and cuddling close. “You have. We read it together.” They’d read it three times, actually.
Didi laughed softly. “Well, it’s like reading it for the first time. Which is actually lovely.”
Whitney put her head on Didi’s shoulder and took her hand, cradling Didi’s between her own. “I would love to be able to read some of my favorites again for the first time. You’re lucky.” She meant that. There were so many unfair things about Alzheimer’s and she dreaded most of them, but she’d take the few silver linings she could find.
Didi kissed the top of her head. “I think so too. I’m very lucky to have you and Cam taking care of me.”
Whitney smiled. Of course Didi already loved Cam. “You had a good day?”
“Oh we’ve had a lovely few weeks,” Didi said. “He’s so funny and kind. Yoga is fun, the kittens are so cute. I’m so good at the east warriors. I had four purple diamonds and killed three trolls just today. I’ve never met a man who can make good mashed potatoes. And the margaritas are the best I’ve ever had. He didn’t even get mad about the dented pot.”
Whitney repeated all of that silently, trying to figure each thing out. Okay, yoga and kittens did actually go together in Appleby. Had they gone to Paige’s? It was possible. Cam did go to yoga at Paige’s studio. It was why Whitney had changed the class time she attended. Watching Cam stretch and bend and flex the one time they’d been in class together had been too much for her. Apparently, it had been too much for several women because, according to Piper, who also attended regularly, Paige had asked Cam to move to the back of the room for future classes.
But Whitney had never thought about taking Didi to yoga. She’d assumed Didi would be bored after just a few minutes and they wouldn’t make it through a whole class. She hadn’t wanted to disrupt class for everyone else and, if she were being honest, she wanted to have a full class. She loved yoga.
As for the east warriors, she assumed that was something about Warriors of Easton, the guys’ video game, but she’d had no idea that Didi knew how to play, not to mention being good enough to win. Then again, Whitney knew nothing about the game. She’d stubbornly ignored learning anything about it over the years because, while she was happy for Cam and happy to have been proven right, it was also a reminder that she had, in fact, been right about him being better off without her.
Moving on from that, Whitney thought about the rest of what Didi had said.
It was possible that Cam had made her grandmother mashed potatoes and margaritas today.
But Didi also thought Cam had been here for a few weeks.
“He’s such a good man, Whitney.”
Whitney tipped her head to look up at her grandmother. Didi might not know what day it was for sure or how many she’d spent with Cam, but Whitney could see that she was perfectly aware of what she was saying right now.
And she was right. Cam was a good man. “I know.”
“Different than what we’re used to.”
Whitney felt her chest tighten. He was that too. So different. She and her grandmother had never specifically talked about the sexism and neglect in their family. It would have been like discussing ugly furniture. Why mention it when it was right there and so obvious and they both clearly saw it and hated it? But it had bonded them. Didi’s support of her had always meant so much and it was why Whitney really wanted Hot Cakes to be the company it should be—a company that Didi could be proud of, run the way she would have run it.
“He’s definitely very different,” she agreed.
Didi’s hand squeezed hers. “I’m so glad. You deserve that. He sees what you’re worth. And he’ll help you see it too.”
Whitney felt her eyes prickling with tears. She sniffed. “You’ve always helped me see what I’m worth.”
“I’m glad.” Didi leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “But you can never be loved too much. And I think Camden is going to love you like you’ve never been loved.”
Whitney felt her breath catch in her lungs and she had to force herself to breathe out.
Wow. That was… a lot. A lot that she really couldn’t deal with right now.
How many margaritas had Didi had today? Maybe that explained some of this.
Well, there was one person who would know for sure. She should probably go talk to Cam. About the margaritas. And how Didi’s day had been from his perspective. Yes, that made sense. She should for sure check in with him. About the margaritas.
“I
