I realized. I wonder when, and why.
In response to my look of surprise, Elliott quickly explained, “I wanted to keep my eye on him to make sure you were safe.”
I wondered what else he had watched during his death. Did he watch us as we grew? Another thing we would need to discuss, once Meg was back home.
Elliott continued to draw on the map. “The master suites are here, and the old
nursery was this section. My guess is this is where Meg is being kept.”
The men took over planning the routes we would take. They even made
backup plans for good measure. As they worked, I glanced around, trying to decide how to distract myself. For the first time, I noticed the countertops were
filled with a ridiculous number of baked items.
“Why is Gram baking so much?” I questioned, as I popped one of the fresh
tea biscuits into my mouth. “There’s enough here for everyone in town, and then
some.”
“She’s been cooking since the day you slipped into your deep sleep,” Elliott
answered. “She told me it calms her.” He snorted in amusement. “If you think this is a lot, you ought to check the freezer. She has it filled to the brim with meals. We have enough food to last for months."
Gram must have been really stressed, I thought as I turned towards the pantry. The shelves were stocked with rows of small bottles. How did I miss this
abundance and variety of elixirs, tonics, and potions? I continued my inspection, even when Gram returned.
“Quick, take this,” she called out. Her arms were full.
I took a box from her and almost dropped it from the immense weight. I was
astounded she’d been able to carry it and the other box with seemingly little effort. The next box weighed even more than the first.
“Gram, these are way too heavy for anyone to carry. How did you carry
one…let alone two?” I asked with concern. “You should have asked us to help.”
“Shush,” she replied, “Light as a feather. Come, let's unload these, and then
finish up dinner.”
Why are we preparing like this? It’s as if a hard winter’s coming, and weneed all the stores we can get. What is she up to? “Gram, why are we stocking
the pantry? Elliott said that you also filled the freezers with meals for months,” I
grilled her.
“While you were sleeping, I kept busy,” Gram said casually. “Now, we have
plenty of meals and can focus on Meg when she comes home. Don’t forget that
Miles will be living with us. He will need a lot of our time to adjust to his new
life. We have years of love and family to make up to him. Not to mention, a wedding to plan. Haven't I always taught you to be prepared?”
I accepted her answer and continued unpacking the boxes without further
inquiry. After all, Gram was a planner, and her thoughts were logical.
While I had worked on the pantry, Gram finished our meal. My stomach
growled at the tempting smells. My task completed, I found that she had begun
cutting vegetables for our dinner salad.
“What are you cooking?” I asked, taking the knife from her to resume cutting
the vegetables. “It smells so delicious.”
“I haven't made this recipe in a very long time. It was Chester's favorite."
Gram added mushrooms to the caramelized onions she had simmering.
Noticing the soft smile on her face while she stirred the food, I wondered if
she was thinking about my grandfather. He had been gone over ten years, but it
