“Every friendship with me is unique.” She grins.
I don’t doubt that for a second.
I pull out from her driveway and out onto the road and begin our long drive toward Vegas. Nobody drives this far unless they have to, but I’ll make the most of it and use the time to get to know Becca a little more. She might not remember much about what happened at Jake’s bachelor party, but I sure did. I saw a different side to her. Not just the side of her that loves the attention, but a softer, more vulnerable side. It’s a part of her that I don’t think she lets very many people see.
“So, the plan,” I begin, getting back to her original question. “I figured we’d pick up Grammy now, then head back to the resort and stay overnight. Then tomorrow, you go to your sex ceremony—”
“Do you want me to get out of this car right now?” she snaps.
“Sorry—anniversary party,” I correct myself. “I’ll look after Grammy while you go do that, then we’ll drive back here when you’re done.”
“Okay,” Becca says slowly. “But wouldn’t it be easier to pick up Grammy tomorrow?”
I think about it. As much as I love the idea of spending more time alone with Becca, it would make tomorrow even more painful. I know how bad Grammy can get in the evening with her dementia. It’s going to be hard enough to driving her home during daylight, let alone at night.
“Probably, but then we’d have to backtrack,” I explain. “Trust me, this way is easiest.”
“Okay. Are you even allowed to have cats at the hotel?” she questions, scrunching up her nose.
I laugh, shocked that she believed me about that. What else would she believe just because I tell her?
“Andrew isn’t coming,” I assure her. “The drive alone would probably kill him. Mom has spoken to Grammy and she understands.”
I hope.
Becca nods, satisfied with that.
“Are you close to your grandmother?” she asks.
I take the exit onto the 405 and glance out over the horizon. It’s a nice day. The blue sky stretches for miles in the distance, so at the very least, it should be a relaxed drive.
“We’ve always been close. She’s been going downhill lately and it’s hard to watch. The dementia is getting worse. It’s hard, when some days she doesn’t even know who I am.”
Becca nods. “She means a lot to Jake, too, doesn’t she?”
“She does. After my uncle Sam died, Aunt Jacquie went through a severe depression. Grammy moved in with them for a few months. She was like a second mother to Jake, so they developed a special bond.” I glance at her. “Have you ever met Grammy?”
She nods thoughtfully. “Years ago, but I doubt she’d even remember me.”
“As hard as it is for me to watch her go downhill, it must be a thousand times worse for Jake. He’s a good guy. He’s been through a lot,” I say.
Becca smiles. “You don’t have to tell me that. He’s one of my closest friends, remember?” She glances at me. “You and Jake used to be close too, right? I’m surprised we’d never met, before last week.”
“You’ve known me all year,” I remind her.
“You know what I mean. Met through Jake,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I’m just shocked we hadn’t run into each other before…”
“The bachelor party?” I say lightly. She flushes. “Jake and I were close when we were kids, but then life happened, and we drifted apart. I went to college, he became a teenager…it just got too difficult to keep in contact. I’m guessing your friendship started around then?”
She nods. “So, what changed recently then?”
I shrug. “I moved back here. We caught up at a family wedding and I realized how much I’d missed out on.”
“Do you notice the difference in age?” she asks. “You’re what, nine years older than him?”
“Ten,” I correct her. “Which makes me ten years older than you. Do you notice that difference between us?”
“No,” she says. “But it’s not really the same thing. Besides, I didn’t realize your students age determines how you teach, at least when you get to our age.”
“I guess it depends on what I’m trying to teach you.”
She hides a smile by looking out the window, while I shake my head at how that made me sound like a creepy old man. The worst part is I hadn’t even intended for there to be a sexual context to my comment.
“Some subjects I do notice the age difference more than others.” I think about how to get my point across. “Trying to explain the feline reproductive system is a hell of a lot easier when your students can name the parts of the anatomy without erupting into giggles.”
“Except I think I was one of the ones giggling,” she admits, her eyes twinkling. “So your theory is flawed.”