"Be happy, Leigh. Please. Just for one day, put
aside any dark thoughts and be happy for me." "I'll be happy for you, Momma." She brushed a
quick kiss on my cheek, then we hurried downstairs. I
was stunned by Momma's revelation. Was everything
good and true and honest only in storybooks? Nothing
seemed to be what it appeared to be. Life was as
complicated as . . as the maze outside. No wonder it's
so easy to get lost, I thought.
Grandma Jana left just before the wedding
reception actually ended. She was anxious to get back
to her home in Texas, even though everyone treated
her like a queen here. Tony had arranged for Miles to
drive her to the airport. I walked out to the awaiting
limousine with her, since Momma was too busy to say
a proper goodbye.
"Goodbye, Grandma," I said. "Have a good trip
home."
She stood there staring at me thoughtfully, and
then she hugged me to her so tightly, she nearly took
my breath away. She looked at me and then her eyes
narrowed and hardened. For a moment I thought she was going to tell me everything, just blurt out the truth of all of Momma's dreadful lies and why she had been upset to learn of Momma's divorce and new marriage, but her eyes softened and her grip on my
shoulders loosened.
"I hope you will be happy here, Leigh, but if for
any reason you're not, just remember, you can come
to me. I don't live as fancy as all this, but I'm quite
comfortable," she said, sounding far from the ogre
Momma often made her out to be. How much of the
rest of what Momma had told me about her early life
in Texas had really been true, I wondered.
"Thank you, Grandma."