“That’s wonderful news. Does she know I’m visiting today?”
“I let her know that she would be having a visitor, but I didn’t say more, just on the off chance that her mood changed.”
“I understand.”
Mark handed her a visitor pass and gestured for her to continue to her grandmother’s room. River passed through the halls, doing her best to smile and wave at the residents as she walked by them.
The door to her grandmother’s room was open and River found Sue sitting at the edge of her bed, brushing her gray hair with a silver bristled brush. It was something River had admired when she was a child, the tool reminding her of something a princess would use.
“Grandma Sue?” River called out as she knocked on the door. Her grandmother turned her head away from the mirror and River noticed the look of confusion in Sue’s eyes. Though she was having a good day emotionally, her grandmother was having a bad day mentally. River tried not to let it get her down that her grandmother didn’t recognize her, but it still hurt.
Taking a deep breath, River slowly entered the room, making sure her grandmother didn’t grow alarmed. She was sure somewhere deep inside Sue’s memory she would recognize her granddaughter, the girl she had raised from a small
child to an adult.
“Hi, I’m River. How are you today?”
“I’m well. Have we met before?” Sue asked as River took the seat across from her.
“We have, and actually, I was hoping you could give me a piece of advice. You’re really good at that.”
“My memory isn’t the best, but I will try. What can I help you with? Is it a boy?”
River chuckled. Her grandmother always seemed to know when River was having friendship or relationship trouble. She liked to think that this was a part of her grandma’s subconscious that remembered their past chats.
Patiently, Sue sat and listened as River told her about Ridge and Delilah. About how she was afraid to give any more of herself just as she was learning to be on her own. About how she was worried she wasn’t capable of love. And how she didn’t want to lose the newly formed friendship.
When she was done explaining her fears, River glanced up at her grandmother, hoping that she’d get the same insightful advice Sue had bestowed upon her in the past.
“You can live without love, but it is not a life worth living. Find the person that fills your heart with the same amount of love that you give.”
“But how do I know when I’ve found that person? How do I know I’ve chosen the right one?”
“Oh, you’ll know when it’s the right one. There will be no question. The heart is rarely wrong. And you won’t know until you take a chance.”
River wasn’t disappointed by the insightful advice her grandmother bestowed upon her. Sue always spoke from past experiences even when she could no longer remember them.
Together they spent the next couple of hours watching a game show on the small television. Her grandmother glanced over every now and then in River’s direction, confusion marring her features, but Sue must have sensed their connection and returned her attention to the screen.
Mark ushered River from the facility when Sue grew tired and needed rest. Instead of driving off right away, River reached for her mobile phone in her purse and pulled up the number Ridge had given her last week.
Taking a deep but unsteady breath, River typed out a message to Ridge.
Me: Yes to dinner. When and where?
Tossing the phone back into her purse, River pulled out of the parking lot not wanting to fret over Ridge’s response, though she knew it was a lost cause when she got back to her house.
She was thankful that the drive home was quick since her mind was constantly running through the different scenarios Ridge could reply to her message with. By the time she pulled off Main Street to head toward her neighborhood, River was certain that Ridge no longer wanted anything to do with her. River was so completely paranoid at the rejection that she barely noticed the black car parked in front of her home. It wasn’t until she drove closer that the vehicle quickly pulled away and sped in her direction. River tried to get a good glimpse of the person driving the car, but the tinted windows made it nearly impossible.
Since a few of her neighbors had similar vehicles, River didn’t think much about the strangeness of the car, and when her phone pinged in her purse, she completely forgot about the interaction.
Parking her SUV, River quickly grabbed her phone to read Ridge’s response. Butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach as she worked to unlock the device. She hadn’t felt this nervous since she invited Justin Hatfield to the Sadie Hawkins dance in middle school.
Ridge: Friday. I’ll pick you up at seven.
Me: Can’t wait.
Now that she had sealed her fate, River had one last task to conquer before the dinner. She had to figure out what to wear.