“Oh, I’ve been there with Grandma!” Noelle chimed in.
Then Grace continued, “My favorite place was and still is The Plaza Hotel. My sister used to take me there when things were bad between our parents. We ran away and pretended we were like Eloise and had tea parties and it was magical. I miss her, you know. Anyway, have you ever been?”
I decided to peek in and saw my daughter shake her head no, and Grace bit her lip, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” Noelle said simply. “I don’t really have a mom.”
“But what about Roxy?” Grace asked, her hands still maneuvering Noelle’s thick locks.
“She’s my mother,” Noelle emphasized. “It’s different from a mom. A mom is the person you go to when you’re sad or things don’t feel right. A mom braids your hair and watches a movie with you while eating ice cream. Roxy’s not a mom. My dad has tried to take both places. It’s hard for him though. And Grandma is old,” she deadpanned in true Noelle fashion.
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me as I imagined relaying this story to my mother.
I quickly covered my mouth and listened.
“Do you think you had good parents?” Noelle questioned.
I was going to have to talk to her about being so nosy.
Grace paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. From what I gathered about Grace’s upbringing, she had cold and distant parents, so I’d be lying if I wasn’t curious as to how she was going to manage spinning this to my kid. “They tried, and I think that’s all you can do as a parent. Unfortunately, not everyone is as spectacular as your dad, pipsqueak.” Grace laughed and glanced over at the door, spotting me.
Seemed like there was no point in trying to hide. Her eyes narrowed like she wanted to say something but instead focused on finishing Noelle’s hair.
“Yeah, I guess he is pretty good.” Noelle shrugged. “Except when he’s moody and complaining about the braids. Oh, and sometimes he’s strict!”
Grace looked at me, gave me a side smile, and said, “But don’t you see, when he’s being strict, he’s showing you he cares. He loves you.”
Grace passed Noelle the hand mirror to look at her handiwork. The braid looked just as good as the tutorials I watched. I was thankful Grace was here for Noelle. In whatever way she wanted to be.
“Thanks, Grace,” Noelle said, hugging her. “You’re pretty cool.”
“Ditto.” Grace nodded and smiled.
Noelle pulled back quickly and pointed a finger at Grace. “Don’t say ditto. You don’t want to be old like Daddy and Grandma.”
“Noted,” Grace quipped, nodding, and then stood before making her way over to me.
I snorted and Noelle rolled her eyes, totally unfazed at me lingering in the doorway. I told Noelle it was time to get ready for bed since we had an early morning ahead of us.
Grace and I turned to make our way down the hall to my room when she turned back and called, “Hey, Noelle?”
“Yeah?” Noelle popped her head out of her room, and I quickly removed my hand from Grace’s ass.
“I can teach you how to braid your hair, if you want,” Grace offered shyly.
My heart swelled hearing Grace extend herself to Noelle.
“Are you and Dad going to get married?” My nosy daughter couldn’t help herself. “You’d look pretty in a white dress. You already look like a princess.”
Grace grimaced. “I don’t know what will happen between your dad and me, but for what it’s worth, no matter what, I promise you and I will always be friends. I’ll always be here for you, okay?”
Noelle smiled softly and nodded before ducking back into her room.
“Thank you,” I whispered into her hair. I wasn’t just thanking her for braiding Noelle’s hair but for having such a tender moment with my kid. “Are you okay?” I asked, worried about her.
I was always worried about Noelle too, but I think that comes with the territory of being a parent.
I never understood how my ex was able to walk away with minimal communication. When I first brought Noelle home from the hospital, I used to watch her sleep at night, worried if she was breathing. Now I worried in different ways, new ways, constantly.
