Jules chuckled. “I had the menus reprinted the second he handed me the keys to the Moonlight.”
Angela gently took the now-shredded napkin from Jules’s hands and placed it on the table. “Now do you see why I divorced your dad?”
Jules nodded slowly. “I guess, on some level, I knew things were bad. But for some reason, I got mad at you and not at him.”
“That’s because you have a big heart and felt sorry for him. You’ve always felt way too responsible for the people around you, just like Mark. Your dad hated the divorce, and I have no doubt he was a little lost after I left.”
“He was miserable for a while. He never told me not to visit you, but I always felt guilty leaving him here alone. You had John, but Dad just had the Moonlight. I felt like I couldn’t leave him.”
Angela had to swallow her own tears. “You didn’t deserve to go through that. None of us did.”
Emotion darkened Jules’s brown eyes. “I really hated you. I’m sorry for that.”
“It’s understandable. But Jules, it’s time we left all of that in the past. I’ve enjoyed staying with you so much. I can’t thank you enough for letting me be here.”
Jules smiled. “It’s been nice having someone to talk to. I can’t share everything with the boys.”
“Of course not, although I’m sure Mark would think he could handle it.” Angela sighed. “I wish he were a bit more independent.”
“Mark? He is independent. I don’t force him to live here.”
“No, but you certainly haven’t made it easy for him to leave, which can be the same thing. I worry about him. He needs more of a life than this house and the Moonlight.”
“Mom, no one is stopping him.”
“Then maybe he needs encouraging. I asked him the other day why he’s not dating anyone.”
Jules stiffened. “Why would you ask him that?”
“Because I’m a manipulative grandma, that’s why. Don’t you want him to find a nice girl and settle down and have a few kids of his own?”
“I suppose.” Jules stifled a sigh. “That sounds bad. Of course I do. He’s just never said anything about it, so I’ve assumed he’s been happy with the way things are. Maybe there isn’t anyone he likes here in town?”
“There are plenty of young women around here. One day, he’ll make someone a terrific husband and, in a few years, a top-notch dad. But he won’t do either if you don’t let him know it’s okay. He feels too responsible for you and Gray, just as you feel too responsible for them. Frankly, it seems as if Gray’s the only one with some balance here.”
“I’m balanced.” Jules’s tone had sharpened again.
“Then prove it! Be happy yourself. Have a life and let your kids see you do it! Our children measure their lives against ours, and if they see us denying ourselves all the time for their sakes, they believe that’s how they should live, too.”
Jules didn’t say anything for a long moment, and then she lifted her shoulders with a sigh. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe—darn it, parenting is hard!”
“Oh, honey. It’s a maze on top of a trap, wrapped in a torture chamber, and slathered with guilt. That’s what parenting is.”
Jules laughed and, to Angela’s everlasting happiness, leaned over and enveloped her in a huge hug. “Oh, Mom. I’m so glad you came.”
Angela melted into the hug, wrapping her arms around her daughter. This is what I came here to do. The only thing left is to confess my latest sin and admit that I’ve been staying here under false pretenses. There isn’t a better time than now.
Jules released Angela and smiled. “I’m glad we talked. I needed this.”
Angela realized she was clasping her hands together so tightly, they ached. She eased her grip and placed her hands flat on her knees. “I needed it, too. Jules, I always want to tell you the truth, not just about the past, but about the present.” Angela took a deep breath. “When I came here after John’s death, I wasn’t entirely tru—”
Jules’s phone rang.
“That’s Mark.” Jules got up, brought her purse to the table, and pulled out her phone. “Hello? Hi. No, I just stopped by the house to see Mom. I’ll be in soon, I just—” She listened a moment more and then frowned. “Can’t you send Missy to the Piggly Wiggly to get some? Oh. That’s right. She doesn’t come in until four today. I’d forgotten that.”
Jules nodded as Mark talked, and then said, “Sure. I’ll just pick some up on my way in. No problem. Bye.” She hung up and dropped her phone back into her purse. “The grocer messed up our order and didn’t deliver a single leaf of lettuce. You can keep going without a lot of ingredients, but lettuce isn’t one of them. No salads, no hamburger toppings, no garnishes—it’s a long list of nos.”
“I suppose you need to get going, then.” Apparently now wasn’t the right time for a confession, after all. More relieved than she cared to admit, Angela decided that tomorrow would be a better day for truth-telling. Or the day after, even. At least I tried.
Jules smiled, looking almost shy. “Thanks for the talk. Maybe later tonight, if you’re not too tired, we can take a ride into town and have some frozen yogurt from that cart in the park? It’s not too cool at night yet, and it’s not bad for yogurt. I—” Jules’s phone rang again. “Sheesh, it’s Mark again. All right already! I have to go. Bye, Mom.” She answered her phone as she headed out, the sound of her voice fading as the door closed behind her.
Angela was left alone in the kitchen with two empty plates and a few remaining crumbs of an Ella Dove scone. In one conversation, she’d accomplished everything she needed to except for one small thing. Her confession.
Tomorrow, she told herself. I’ll do it first thing tomorrow. For now, she’d enjoy the feeling of having finally, finally, connected with her one and only child. She glanced out the window and smiled. John, as usual, you were right.
CHAPTER 15 GRAY
At six that night, Gray walked up the steps to the Dove house porch. But before he reached the top step, Ella came dashing out, wearing a short and flirty dress and a long cardigan. “See you all later!” she called over her shoulder as she went.
She sailed down the steps, grabbing Gray’s hand as she passed him, and pulled him along with her. “Hurry,” she said under her breath. “Ava and Sarah are hoping they can talk us into a Scrabble night.”
“Scrabble, huh? Maybe we should stay. Chemists are really, really good at that game. We’d slay.”
She laughed. “We would, wouldn’t we? Maybe next time.”
Gray helped her into the truck and then climbed into the driver’s seat.
She looked at him expectantly. “Where are we going? That new Italian place in Glory? If you’re tired of pizza, Grace told me about a new Asian-fusion restaurant in Asheville.”
“Instead of going out, I thought you might like to visit Adorbs.”
“We’re going to your farm?”
He nodded. “I know you’ve dropped by a few times, but I’ve never shown you the house. Would you like to see it?”