The heavenly smell of freshly baked ham filled her nostrils. Cory took a deep breath of the divine aroma as she opened the gate to the small house. The place smelled like Christmas. Only it was July. So maybe it was Christmas in July.
She followed the smell from down on the beach where she had gone to clear her head early that morning. She was feeling much better today. Her appetite was back because her stomach was viciously growling at her. And this was just the right kind of comfort food she needed.
When she entered the bright yellow kitchen, her grandmother was taking out some freshly baked loaves of bread she had in the oven. Cory’s mouth was salivating, knowing fully well it was going to have a piping hot meal of bread and ham in a minute or so.
The majority of islanders would normally have ham only at Christmastime, as was the tradition. But Cory and her grandmother would soon be having it in the middle of July. This was just one of the many reasons why Cory loved her grandmother so dearly. She was so unconventional. A classic nonconformist. To hell with traditions and customs. Her grandmother ate and wore whatever she liked, whenever she liked.
She would be the one to wear another color besides black at a funeral because of her belief that a funeral was supposed to be a celebration. A celebration of the life of the person who passed. Everyone couldn’t understand why she hadn’t shed a tear at her only child’s funeral. But Cory understood. That was just who she was.
Her grandmother had to deal with so many deaths in her lifetime. Her two husbands, her only daughter, her first grandson. She probably was fed up with all the tears. Yet, she was still here, living life to the fullest. Cory wished she could draw some of her grandmother’s strength and courage to go on now. Her love of life. Her free spirit.
“Hi, Gran.” Cory kissed her grandmother on the cheek.
“Hi, sugar. You’re finally back from the beach? I thought you didn’t want any breakfast again this morning.”
“Nah. Somebody was baking and I couldn’t resist anymore.”
“Are you finally hungry, sweetie?”
“Famished! How did you know I was craving this, Gran?”
“Oh, lucky guess,” her grandmother winked at her. “Sit, let me make you a sandwich.”
“I’m so lucky.”
“Don’t be silly. Who else do I have to do all these things for? Besides, I love having to cook when I do have guests.”
“Boy, I need to come visit you more often, then,” Cory said as she pulled out a chair from the small dining set in the kitchen.
“Now why would you want to leave that handsome husband of yours and come all the way up here to see little old me?”
Cory’s cheerfulness quickly vanished from her face. She grew serious now. “Gran, I told you what happened. What he did. He lied to me. And I don’t know if I can ever forgive him for that.”
“You know you can mention his name, Cory.”
“I don’t want to, Gran.” Adrian broke her heart. No. Her heart was shattered in a million tiny pieces and Cory didn’t know if she would ever find all the pieces or how long she would take to pick them all up and mend it back together again.
“That’s not going to make you not think about him or forget what you two have together for that matter,” her grandmother added knowingly. “So are you going to stay mad at him forever?”
Cory sighed heavily and sank further into her chair. “Look, Gran, everything he and I had together was all driven by his guilt. His proposal, the gifts, the flowers, everything, okay.”
And she was so stupid to believe it all. She got herself so wrapped up and lost in all the nonsense. This unbelievable, whirlwind romance. She never once stopped to think or ask a question. Maybe it was his charm or his damn accent. His gentleness. Or was it the way he made love to her like no other man could. The way he protected her. What the hell was it that made her fall so damn hard for this man?
“Don’t be a fool, Cory. Did you stop to think for one minute that he could have been driven by love? You know, I’ve been thinking about this all of last night. That man loves you, Cory. In fact, he wouldn’t have done what he did if he didn’t love you in the first place. He could have easily just dumped your ass and never see you again and move on with his life and left it at that.”
“And you really believe that?”
“Yes, I really do. I think he only did what he did because he didn’t want to lose you, Cory. And at some time or the other, you’re going to have to talk to him. But most importantly, you’re going to have to listen to him. Hear what he has to say, Cory.”
“But he should’ve told me the truth, Gran. Let me decide what I wanted to do. Not take matters into his own hands.”
Her grandmother looked up at her for a moment. She stopped slicing the juicy red tomato on the cutting board and looked at her intently. “And if he did tell you everything Cory, would you have stayed with him? Would you still love him and even married him?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I’d have done, Gran.” Cory was still trying to figure out the real reason she ran away from Adrian in the first place. Was it because he was actually there when her brother was killed or the fact that he knew all the while and deceived her?
“My point exactly,” Miss Millie stated and went back to her cutting board.
“All I know is that I trusted him with my everything and he abused and betrayed that trust. He deceived me, Gran. And it’s just amazing to me that out of the one point three million people on these two islands, Adrian had to be the one to be there that night.”
“Because he was supposed to be there, Cory,” her grandmother stated quite matter-of-factly. “I honestly believe he made a mistake, Cory.”
“Well, this mistake cost somebody their life. My brother’s life was wrongfully taken in all of this. Then the facts of that were hidden from me.”
Her grandmother handed a plate to Cory. On it was a thick juicy ham sandwich with lettuce leaves sticking out of its sides. “Mistakes are made everyday by everyone but lessons are supposed to be learned from them. Besides, it wasn’t like he alone deliberately did it. So if I was you, Cory, I wouldn’t let my brother’s life go for naught.”
Cory couldn’t resist taking a bite in the sandwich her grandmother just prepared. She finally sank her teeth into the warm bread. “What do you mean by that, Gran?” she asked.
“You have found true love. Don’t let this come between you and Adrian. Without Adrian, you would have probably still been with that boring fool in his skinny suits.”
“Granny?” Cory laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation. “That’s an awful thing to say. Preston is a lawyer. He has to wear suits.”
“I know, but they’re too small!”
“So Gran, if you never liked Preston, how come you never told me anything before now?”
“Oh, I never said I didn’t like the boy, Cory. I just didn’t like him for you, sweetie.”
“And what about Adrian? Do you like him?”
“Oh yes. Without a doubt, you two were meant to be together. You can see so much love with you two.”
“So you have no problems with him being a soldier, then?”
“Why should I? That’s the man’s job, baby. What’s better than having a man who’s willing to give his life to protect you everyday? Besides, by the looks of him, I’m sure he’s incredible between the sheets, too,” she winked at Cory with mischief in her eyes. “Child, anytime that man looks at you it’s as if he wants to … .”
“Okay, Gran. That’s enough,” Cory raised her hand in protest, shaking her head. They both burst into loud laughter. Talking about her relationships with her grandmother was one thing. Cory wasn’t about to discuss her sex life, too, even though her grandmother was right on point. Adrian was giving it to her just the way she wanted it, needed it and liked it. That was another thing. How could she ever find her way back into another man’s arms again? Certainly not after the way Adrian possessed her body and it responded to him in a language all of its own.
“So what do I do now, Gran?” Cory sighed heavily.
“Sweetie, I can’t tell you what to do. You have to feel it … from your heart. Maybe you should listen to your heart for a change.”
“Well, there isn’t a question about it. My heart tells me I love this man more than anything. My heart, my soul, my body … my entire being loves Adrian so much,” Cory said as the tears started again.
“So there you go. Sweetie, I think this is your biggest lesson you’re to learn yet. Forgiving the one you love.”
“But how could I ever forgive him, Gran? Love alone just isn’t enough sometimes.”
“Then sometimes, it’s all we may ever need, Cory. All this old lady knows is that your brother was taken so that you and Adrian could have a chance at real love and make each other truly happy. Both of you needed to find true love in order to heal from all your past heartaches.”
“You really think so, Gran? That all sounds like a fairytale to me.”
“Trust me, sweetie. The Lord knows what He’s doing. He may work in mysterious ways but He sure knows what He’s doing, Cory,” she laughed.
And somehow, these crazy words coming from her grandmother just made perfect sense to Cory. If she had half as much faith as her grandmother did, maybe she just might make it through this mess sanely.
“By the way … when are you going to tell the man you’re having his baby?”
Her grandmother’s question completely threw her. Her eyes widened in surprise. The ham sandwich she was eating slipped from her hands, landing on the floor. How did her grandmother find out? She must have found the pregnancy test in the trash.
“How did you know, Gran?”
“Child, look at you. When was the last time you took a good look at yourself in the mirror? You’re as ripe and full as a mango hanging on that tree outside. I just have to look at your face and I could tell.”
What was it about these old women? They could always just look at someone and know they’re with child.
“Besides the last time I saw you, your stomach was as flat as Rihanna’s,” her grandmother went on.
“Gran and what do you know about Rihanna?”
“I watch B.E.T. sometimes, sugar.”
Actually, Cory wasn’t that much surprised by her grandmother’s admission. What else was there for her to do? Since Albert died, her time was now consumed with growing vegetables in her kitchen garden, crocheting, and going to church on a Sunday morning.
Cory really wanted to laugh but the tears continued to flow instead. “Oh, Gran.” She started crying uncontrollably now. Her entire body rocking from the violent sobs overtaking it. “What am I going to do?”
“Well, the first thing you have to do is tell your husband he’s going to be a daddy, Cory. He deserves to know that much.”
“But what if he doesn’t want this baby, Gran?” she sobbed. “We never spoke about having any babies before. I don’t know if he even likes them.”
“Don’t you worry about that. He’ll want this baby more than anything else in the world. You know why?” she asked. “Because you’re the mother.”
Cory sighed heavily. “How am I ever going to get myself out of this mess this time?”
“This is not a mess that can’t be fixed, sweetie. You have a gorgeous husband who loves you. You’re going to be having his son or daughter in a few months’ time. Hmm, this sure makes me wish I was twenty-six again. You know your mother had you when she was twenty-six, too.”
“I know. I miss her so much, Gran. I wish she was here now.”
“I know. I miss her too, baby. She was my only child. I always wished I was taken instead of her. So that she could have experienced these things. To have seen all of you get married. And see her first grandbaby. Then her second. And third.”
“Hold up there, Grandma! Now I don’t know about all that.”
“Are you crazy child? Take me as a good example. I had only one and look what happened.”
“That’s because you couldn’t have any more children, Gran. You can’t beat yourself up over that.”
“I know that. And that’s why you and that healthy-looking husband of yours can stop around five or so. That’ll make me very happy.”
“Not in this world recession, Gran. I’m lucky to even have a job right now.”
“The recession will pass eventually. You know we can talk and plan how much we want. But only He has the master plan. He’s the only one that knows how many babies will pop out of you.”
“Gran!”
“Jesus, Cory. You’re a married woman now. You need to chill.”
“That’s it. I’m blocking B.E.T. from your cable lineup.”