Falling Fast

“She did.” I plop down on the couch, taking a huge gulp from the glass in my hand before continuing. “She also told me that my dad wanted her to keep me from my grandma.”

“Why would he want that?” She frowns, picking up the remote and turning off the TV.

“I don’t know, but I believe her. He never really got along with grandma, and after my mom passed away, their relationship only got worse.”

Bringing the bottle of wine with her, she comes over to the couch and takes a seat next to me. She then takes the glass, fills it back up, and hands it back to me. “But to tell you that your grandma is dead…? That’s extreme, even for her.”

“I know,” I sigh, taking another gulp of wine, hoping the alcohol will kick in and the tension in my shoulders will ease.

“So you’re really going to Tennessee?”

Meeting her gaze, my eyes water. “Yeah, I’m really going.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know. However long I need to be there.” I shrug. “Nina says she has dementia, and I don’t know how bad she is or what I will need to do.”

“You just got a promotion,” she reminds me—news I got just a few weeks ago. Jana offered me my own class and a two dollar an hour raise, something I hadn’t been expecting. I was more excited about having my own class than the extra money. I had been working hard at proving I was capable of running my own classroom and looking forward to all the things I would do with my students. “Will Jana hold your spot?”

Coming out of my thoughts, I bite my lip and shake my head. “She told me I’ll have a job whenever I get back, but she can’t guarantee me my own class, since it wouldn’t be fair to whoever takes my position.”

“Dude, you’ve worked so hard.”

“I know, but it’s my grandma. We use to be close, really, really close, and she needs me. My mom would expect me to go, and I would hate myself if I didn’t.”

“That’s true,” she agrees, sounding sad, and I notice tears in her eyes that match the tears filling mine. “I’m just being selfish, because I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too, but I’ll be back.” I wipe away at the tears on my cheeks with the sleeve of my sweater.

“You better come back.”

“I will… well, unless I find some hot cowboy and fall in love,” I joke, and we both laugh, since we know that is never going to happen.

“If you find a hot cowboy, you better make sure he has a hot friend. We have a plan, remember?”

“How could I ever forget?” I ask, resting my head on her shoulder, remembering the deal we made when we were seven. That deal being we’ll find guys who are best friends, get engaged at the same time, married, buy houses next door to each other, and then get pregnant so our kids can grow up being best friends just like us.

“I can’t believe you’re going to Tennessee. Do they even drive there, or do they get around on horseback?”

“You’re an idiot.” I close my eyes, smiling, and then whisper, “I love you.”

“You too, always, and whenever you need me, I will be there.”

“Thank you,” I get out through the tightness in my throat. Natasha has been the one constant in my life since I can remember. She’s the one who sat with me at my mother’s funeral, holding my hand. Then later, when my dad was diagnosed with the tumor that took his life, she was always right there with me, going to the hospital and sitting next to his bed until he took his last breath. She’s my family, just like I’m hers.

“Enough of this sad crap. I say we finish off this bottle of wine then open the other one I have in the fridge.”

“Sounds good to me,” I agree as she gets up, going to the kitchen and grabbing another glass. Coming back to the couch a second later, she tops off my glass and fills hers up.

“Now, let’s cheers.” She holds her glass up and I do the same. “Here’s to finding out your grandma is alive, new adventures, and hopefully hot cowboys.”

Clinking my glass against hers, I laugh then take a sip of wine, hoping that when I finally make it to Tennessee, everything will be okay.

~**~

As I pull onto the highway that will lead me to Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls, I take in my surroundings. It’s beautiful here with its sprawling farms set back off the highway, rolling hills covered in trees, and a beautiful lake I’m sure is full of life during the summer months. It’s the complete opposite of the city I’ve lived in my entire life. Everything is open and clean, and judging by the amount of people who have waved at me in my Jeep, it’s friendly here. As I reach the exit for Ruby Falls, I dial Nina’s number. I talked to her yesterday, and then again this morning after I left Chicago to tell her I was on my way and should be there by the afternoon, since the drive is only about ten hours. I could tell she was relieved I was actually keeping my word and coming. When I asked her about talking to my grandmother directly, she told me that she would try to get her on the phone, but it hasn’t happened, which worried me more than anything. I’m not worried like Natasha that I’m being catfished, but I am concerned about my grandmother’s state of mind. I know if she were thinking clearly that she would want to speak to me, especially after so many years.