Renie laughed. “Then we better go shopping. I’ll need a stove, a refrigerator, pots and pans…”
“Maybe we better eat out for the next couple of days.” He picked up Willow. “Or go to Grandma’s house. Wanna go to Grandma’s house, Willow?”
“If you’re referring to my mother, I can’t wait to see the look on her face the first time you refer to her as ‘Grandma.’”
“Too late.”
“Huh?”
“While you and Willow were sleeping, we had a conversation. I snuck it in to see how she’d react.”
“And?”
“I don’t think she even noticed. She continued right along with the lecture she was in the middle of givin’ me.”
Renie held out her hands and Willow maneuvered over to her. “Let’s go see Grandma then. And Grandpa too.”
“Oh, man. I’m gonna love this,” said Billy. “Grandpa Ben. This is gonna be good.”
“She likes you,” Billy said on the ride to Ben and Liv’s.
“I like her, too.” Renie turned around to look at Willow who had dozed off in her car seat. “She’s easy to like.”
“So are you.”
She was very easy to like. Easy to love too. But the likability part, Billy believed that was what Willow was responding to.
Even when she was a little girl, Renie had a sense of calm about her that soothed everyone around her. He hadn’t been worried as much about how Willow would respond to Renie. He had been more worried about how Renie would respond to Willow. So far, so good.
He wondered how long it would take before he’d let himself breathe easy, how long it would be before he felt they were really going to be okay.
When they got to the house, Luke was on the front porch waiting for them.
“Did you bring Willow?” he asked.
“Nope, we left her back at the house.”
“What?”
“Luke,” Renie said, messing up his hair. “He’s kidding. She’s in her car seat.”
“Are you gonna get her out?”
Billy started to say something, but Renie interrupted him. “Yes, Billy will get her out. What’s up, Luke?”
“Nuthin’,” he said, looking down at his feet. “She’s kinda fun to play with I guess.”
Ben came out on the porch. “Willow follows Luke around wherever he goes, and laughs at everything he says. Little bit of hero worship.”
Billy lifted Willow out of the car, who squealed with delight when she saw Luke. “Down,” she said, clear as could be.
“Hey, Grandpa, got any cold beer?”
Ben smiled at Billy and raised his hand. Renie closed hers around his before he could make a gesture that either of the kids might mimic.
“I’ll get even with him,” he whispered to Renie. “Thinks he’s so damn funny. I’ll get him when he least expects it.”
“Hey, there. Didn’t want to order takeout tonight? Can’t say I blame you,” said Liv.