He kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you in a few.”
As soon as he was gone, I heard, “What do you say, Ben? Should we go find our seats before the ceremony starts?” Melinda held out her hand to her grandson, and Ben clasped it. “We have a section of seats reserved if you’d like to sit with us,” she said to Mom and me.
“We would love to,” I replied.
We were walking to their seats when Peter fell in line next to me. With my mom talking to Melinda, we’d lagged behind a little, putting enough distance between us and the moms that no one but Peter could hear me when I said, “I’ve thanked Jordan for this, but I want you to know how much it means to me that my mom was offered this job.”
I stared at the side of Peter’s face, at the deep wrinkles beside his eyes and the ones etched into his forehead and the grooves around his mouth. His salt-and-pepper hair and the way his green shirt matched the color of his irises.
I’d never imagined this moment. What it would feel like. What it would look like. What words would actually make their way out of my mouth. And now that it was here, I was surprised by how calm I suddenly felt.
“When I was discussing the details with Jordan after he brought it to my attention, it became obvious that your mom needed to be in that role. There isn’t anyone I could hire who could offer more insight into our tenants and how to meet their needs better than her. Well, except for you.”
I slowed my pace and came to a stop, looking him in the eyes.
I didn’t regret the hate I had felt for him; it was part of my past that I didn’t want to take back.
But as I looked at him now, that feeling was long gone.
I was about to reply when he continued, “My son is enamored with you, Maya. One day, I’ll be calling you my daughter-in-law, I have no doubt about that. But that’s what got me thinking that there could be even more good that came of this union.”
I nodded. “It already has.”
He dragged his hand down his clean-shaven cheek. “I want you to know I’ve only ever wanted to help—the rich, the poor, and everyone in between. This housing project, I hope it does that in more ways than one.”
“I know that now.” My voice cracked as the emotion came through. “And what happens now is far more important than what happened back then.”
He set his hand on my shoulder and smiled. “I know why my son loves you.” He patted the spot he was holding. “And you’re going to make one hell of a Worthington and bring so much to my family.”
“My darling, it’s such a treat to have you in my home.” Bettie put her hand on top of mine as I sat next to her on the couch. Her cold, thin fingers gave my hot ones a squeeze.
“There was no way I was letting you leave the rehab center without me.”
Although my focus had solely been on her as I’d gotten her out of the back seat of Melinda’s SUV and into the two-story brick town house in Beacon Hill, one of Boston’s oldest and most charming neighborhoods, I couldn’t help but take in the elegance of her home. Decorated in cheerful and bold colors, with a midcentury-modern aesthetic that was heavy on wood furnishings and simple patterns. An interior that had been thoughtfully chosen and wasn’t several decades old.
“My daughter has been fretting around my home, trying to get everything ready for my return, and insists a nurse still come in daily to check on me.” She pushed down her glasses and gazed at me from over the top of the frames. “Do you think I need that, Maya?”
“Do I think youneeda nurse? No. Your mobility is fantastic. So is your balance. And you’re in excellent health. But do I think you should have one?” I set my free hand on top of hers. “Yes.”
“Did Melinda convince you to say that?” Her eyes bored through mine. “Never mind, I know she didn’t. When it comes to anything medical, you would never let anyone influence what you believe is right. If you tell me it’s something I need, then that’s how you feel in your heart.”
“When you say things like that, Bettie, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”
I could hear Melinda upstairs, the ceiling creaking as she moved around. Because we’d spoken before Bettie’s discharge, I knew she was making sure Bettie’s personal things had been brought down to the first-floor guest room since Bettie’s bedroom was on the second story.
“Oh, my girl, I think our paths have crossed in many lives. I also believe we’re sent the people we’re supposed to meet.” She paused. “There’s a reason you’re on my couch right now, and it has nothing to do with my grandson.”
“About that ...” I hadn’t said a word about the news Melinda had told me at the groundbreaking ceremony. I wasn’t sure if I was going to, but the timing suddenly felt right. “Why did you request me to be your nurse?”
She gave me a coy look. “My daughter told you?”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I’m going to tell you a story.” She turned toward me, and I readjusted the pillow behind her back. “A few years ago, a couple of my friends and I were eating at a restaurant. Several tables down from us, an elderly woman got sick. She was vomiting at the table, complaining of chest pain and a slew of other symptoms as well. A patron at the restaurant noticed the commotion, who just so happened to be wearing a nursing uniform, and she began to tend to the woman. She called 911, she monitored her vitals, and she didn’t leave her side until the paramedics took the woman away on a stretcher.”
My heart began to patter even harder as I whispered, “Bettie ...”
“Ironically, one of the friends I was eating with is a doctor. A retired orthopedic surgeon. Not the cardiologist that was probably needed in that moment, but an MD nevertheless. That man stayed in his seat and ate his tuna fish sandwich and never took more than a quick glance toward that woman.”
