Fourteen

I sat in the backseat of the car, curled up in a God-given weighted blanket.  It felt like we were heading to school, because this is the car we usually drove in the mornings. I looked out the window, which had a thin coat of frost on the outside of it. 

I’d always loved going to my grandmother’s house. We’d bake cookies, visit the ducks at the pond... We’d do everything grandmothers and their grandchildren do together. But her dementia was getting worse. This visit wasn’t going to be all that happy. My mom doesn’t think she’ll be around next year. 

By the time we arrived at her house, it was dark outside. We parked our car at the top of the dirt trail that led down to my mom’s childhood home. We walked down the trail and past the flower-lined fence. When we approached the small house, we noticed that the lights were off.  

 

“She’s probably asleep,” my mom said. She gently pulled on the door knob and at first the wooden door didn’t budge. We assumed it was locked, until it sprung open, and she stumbled back. “Okay, good. She left the door unlocked for us.”  

Usually, someone leaving their front door unlocked would be a bad idea. But in this case, it wasn’t an issue. My grandmother lived in a weird, almost deserted part of Illinois, which was odd considering it was close to Chicago. 

We followed my mom into the house and the familiar smell of dried, cinnamon, potpourri that my grandmother disguised the house’s musty smell with wafted into my nostrils.  

My mom turned on a light and placed her index finger on her lips and shushed us so we wouldn’t wake my grandmother. 

 

“I’m going to bed, sweetheart,” my dad whispered to my mom. She kissed him on the cheek and he and my brother slowly crept downstairs to the guest rooms in the basement. 

“Would you like some tea, honey?” my mom asked. I shrugged and nodded. She smiled and walked back to the kitchen, which looked as if a flower had thrown up.  

The small curtains above the window in front of the sink were white with pink flowers, matching the dinner plates. Hanging on the wall to the left of the sink, was an old wooden cabinet filled with teapots and succulents planted in various shades of pink flower pots.  

My grandmother always had a love for the color pink. I turned on a small lamp, which illuminated the old living room. There was a big shelf on the back wall storing books and trinkets. Next to it, a dusty pink couch.  

I sunk into the soft couch when I sat down, and I could tell it was worn-out. At the front of the room was a small television peering over the fireplace. I grabbed the remote and when I turned it on, the Hallmark channel appeared. I smiled and chuckled to myself. Typical of my grandmother. 

Next to the fireplace was a small, green Christmas tree with faux snow and Christmas lights wrapped around it. Although my grandmother was old, she never forgot to decorate for the holidays, which explains my mom’s enthusiasm. 

I jumped when I felt something brush against my leg, but relaxed when I looked down and realized it was just Snowball, my grandma’s old white, fluffy Persian cat. 

I’d always wanted a pet, but my parents always shut that idea down though. They said that a dog or a cat would distract Nick and I from being successful in life. The only time they’ve only gave in was when we won a goldfish from the state fair. We were so excited, until it died a couple of days later. My parents blamed our irresponsibility, although I now realize that fish from state fairs don’t have a long lifespan to begin with. We’ve never had anything close to a pet since then. 

My mom soon walked into the living room and sat next to me, handing me a cup of tea. Mint washed over my tongue as I took a sip. 

 

“Hey Snowball,” she said, bending down to pet the old cat.  

My mom sighed as she leaned into the back of the couch. “Riley, I want to thank you for hanging in there. I know life has been crazy these last few months ever since we’ve moved. Your father and I understand that it’s hard for you and Nick.” 

I looked at her.  

“I lived in this house my whole life,” she continued. “I’ve never experienced moving towns. But you’ve been a sport about it. So, thank you.” 

I shrugged. “Well, I don’t want to make it harder than it already is. But I didn’t have that many friends in Evanston, and I’ve made friends here, even if they’re older than me. I think I like it more.” 

My mom smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear that.” We sat and drank our tea some more until eventually, she stood up and yawned. “I think I’m going to go to bed now, honey. Don’t stay up too late, okay?” 

I nodded as she set her cup in the sink. Then, she made her way downstairs to the guest rooms.  

I got lost in thought for a bit, but then got up to place my cup in the sink when I noticed myself yawning excessively.  

The rest of my family had already occupied the two guest rooms downstairs, so I walked back down the hall where there was an extra guest room next to my grandmother’s. 

I slowly opened the door, so it wouldn’t creak and wake anyone. I flicked on the light switch and shut the door behind me, just as Snowball ran into the room. She jumped up onto the white comforter. I looked around the room. This was my mom’s old room. The pink and green flower wallpaper was still intact, and her pink dresser stood next to the bed. I could vaguely smell the scent of play-doh and markers lingering on the walls and inside the carpet. I opened the dusty, pink wardrobe, which was empty except for a small rabbit stuffed animal with buttons for eyes.  

I chuckled. I liked being in the environment my mother grew up in. Eventually, I turned off the light and crawled into bed, the thick comforter wrapping around me, and Snowball snuggled up on my chest. Her weight on my chest would’ve been suffocating if I wasn’t missing Gideon at that moment.  

 

 

~ 

 

 

I woke up with the sunlight beaming in through the pink window shades. I yawned and looked around for Snowball, who was nowhere to be seen. I groggily dragged myself out of the bed and into the hallway. I walked into the kitchen, where my mom and grandmother were waiting. 

 

“Good morning, Riley,” my mom said. “Nick and your father just left for the store getting breakfast.” 

I nodded and walked over to my grandma. When she embraced me, her strong perfume surrounded me. 

“Hi grandma,” I said. 

Her signature fuchsia lipstick coated lips turned upwards and her small blue eyes brightened as she smiled warmly at me. “Hello, Riley.” 

She was wearing a pink shirt underneath a lavender button-up cardigan, and her white pearls matched her poofy hair. She looked exactly like how I remembered her when I was a child. 

“I was thinking,” my mom said, clearing her throat. “...that maybe you and Riley could bake some cookies while we wait for the boys to get home.” 

My grandmother smiled. “Well, that sounds like fun. I love cookies!” She walked over to the cupboard and eagerly started taking the ingredients out.  

“Cookies?” I quietly asked my mom. “Right now?” 

“Yes. We won’t be here that long, and I think it’d be nice for her to have something sweet to snack on when we leave. Plus, it’s something you guys can do together while I work for a little.” 

I shrugged and she pat me on the back as she walked back downstairs. I didn’t have to wait long for my grandmother to take all the ingredients out. Pretty soon, everything was out and ready to go.  

“Are you ready to get started?” I smiled and nodded. “What are we making again?” she asked. 

“Cookies,” I replied. 

She nodded. “Yum. Okay.” 

 

A couple of hours passed as we mixed all the ingredients together. I luckily remembered to put on an apron, because it was now coated with flour.  

 

“So, how’s school?” my grandmother asked. 

“Uhm,” I started. I laughed and continued, “I mean, it’s school, but I guess it’s-” 

“Yes. School. I understand that.” She smiled and looked at the ground. “You know, when I was a little girl, my family would move all over the place. I didn’t have any friends.” 

I frowned. “Wow, that’s sad. I’m sorry.” 

“Well, it was sad,” she nodded. “Do you have any friends?” she asked. 

I laughed. “Yea, I’ve made a couple.” 

“That’s good. You’re lucky.” 

I smiled. I wasn’t as good at making friends as she’d always thought, but it was nice to have someone who always thought the best of you. I dumped the bag of dark chocolate chips into the gooey batter. The batter looked so good that it was challenging to avoid having a taste. 

I started stirring in the chips as my grandmother asked me again, “How are you liking school?” 

I smiled. “Good.” 

My mom was right. My grandmother’s dementia was getting worse. By the time the cookies were in the oven, Nick and my dad were home with breakfast food. We all sat down and enjoyed a nice meal. We spent the rest of our days at my grandmother’s house relaxing and just enjoying each other's company. 

When it was time for us to leave, we all gave my grandmother a big hug. I wrapped my long arms around her, but I didn’t want to let go. For all I knew, that could be the last time I’d see her. My mom was talking about putting her in a nursery home so she could get extra help, but she caught on and quickly shut that idea down.