A HASTILY MADE banner hung over the front door: it said Welcome Home, Nana! in a half dozen colors.
The kids came streaking out as soon as they saw us. I ran interference and scooped Ali off the ground before he could tackle Nana on the walkway.
“Gently!” I called to Jannie, who had already put the brakes on some.
“We missed you so much!” she shrieked. “Oh, Nana, welcome home! Welcome, welcome!”
“Give me a real hug, Janelle. I’m not going to break.” Nana turned on like a lightbulb and grinned.
Ali insisted on carrying Nana’s suitcase, which he thunk-thunk-thunked up the steps behind us, while Nana took my arm on one side, Jannie’s on the other.
When we came into the kitchen, Bree was on the phone. She flashed a big smile Nana’s way and held up a just-one-second finger.
“Yes, sir. Yes. I will. Thank you so much!” said Bree into the receiver.
“Who was that?” I asked, but Bree was already rushing over to give Nana a hug of her own.
“Gently!” Ali said, which cracked Nana up.
“I’m not a basket of eggs,” she said. “I’m a tough old bird.”
We settled in at the kitchen table after Nana made it clear she’d go to bed when “real people” did, thank you very much.
Once we were sitting, Bree cleared her throat like she had an announcement to make. She looked at each of us, then started in. “I’ve been thinking that maybe this whole idea of hiring someone to be here with Nana might not go over so well. Is that correct?”
“Mm-hm.” Nana gave me a look that said, See? I’m not so hard to figure out.
“So… I’m going to cut back at work and stay home with you for a while, Nana. That is, if you’ll have me.”
Nana beamed. “That’s so thoughtful, Bree. And you put it so well. Now that is a health care plan I can live with.”
I was a little stunned. “Cut back?” I asked.
“That’s right. I’ll stay available for whatever you need on Caroline’s case, but everything else, I’m farming out. Oh—and Nana, here.” She got up and took a sheaf of papers off the counter. “I printed these recipes out from the Net. See if any of them look good to you. Or not. Whatever. You want some tea?”
While Nana was reading, I followed Bree over to the stove. One look in her eyes and I realized that it would be wrong for me to ask if this was what she really wanted. Bree had always done what she wanted, and I mean that in a good way.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “You are the best.” She smiled to let me know that thanks weren’t necessary here, and also that she definitely was the best. “I love her too,” she whispered.
“Eggplant?” Nana held up one of the pages she’d been reading. “You can’t make decent eggplant without salt. It’s just not possible.”
“Well, keep looking,” Bree said, going over to sit down next to Nana. “There’s a ton more recipes. What about the crab cakes?”
“Crab cakes could work,” Nana said.
I just hung back and watched the two of them for a while. It felt like a real circle-of-life moment. I noticed the way Bree leaned into Nana when they laughed, and the way Nana always seemed to keep a hand on Bree, as if they’d been buddies forever. God willing, I thought, they would be for a long time to come.
“Angel food cake with chocolate icing?” Nana said, and beamed mischief. “Is that on your good-to-eat list, Bree? Should be.”