After a moment, I reply, “I’ve only ever loved my family and one other person. I’d die for her. I think that says a lot.”
We both stand there, facing the treehouse in front of us. Cain seems to be momentarily lost in thought, trying to process what I had just said. “One other person?” he asks, clearly confused. I look at him with a tear in my eye, and without saying anything, he places his hand on my shoulder.
“Rhett…” he guesses correctly.
I quickly wipe away the tears and look down at the ground. After a moment of silence, I utter a quiet yeah and finally look up to meet Cain’s gaze. I feel vulnerable and exposed, hoping that he doesn’t judge me. He gives me a gentle pat, but I shrug him off, not wanting to show any weakness. “It’s fine,” I reassure him, my voice shaky.
Suddenly, Nate emerges from the treehouse holding a dark green bear. “Look! I think I found Tessie’s bear,” he exclaims, holding it up for us to see. Cain and I can’t help but laugh at the sight of it. “We have to tease her about that,” Cain says, taking the bear from Nate.
Nate interrupts our laughter. “Come on guys, let’s get outta here,” he says.
TESSIE
Nan and I are sitting in the cozy coffee shop which has remained unchanged since childhood. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air and the interior, though old and worn out, exudes a certain charm. The walls are painted in shades of brown, giving the place a warm and inviting feel. Despite the lack of customers, the place is bustling with activity, with the sound of coffee machines and muffled chatter providing a comforting background noise.
I sink my teeth into the rich chocolate cake that Nan has bought for me. She speaks up, her coffee cup held firmly in her hands.
“Mike is a lovely boy. How long have you two been together?” she asks, sipping her coffee. My mind races as I try to come up with an answer. I take a deep breath and lie, “A couple of months.”
Nan smiles at me, her eyes softening. “He loves you, I can tell,” she says tenderly. I smile back at her, feeling a lump form in my throat. I take another bite of the decadent chocolate cake, savoring the bittersweet flavor on my tongue.
“That Cain has intense eyes, doesn’t he?” she remarks, her gaze lost in thought. I nod in agreement, spearing a piece of cake with my fork.
Nan gently places her cup on the table and reaches across to take hold of my hands. I can feel the warmth of her touch as she holds them firmly on the table. She looks directly into my eyes with a look of concern etched on her face. “Tessie, dear. Is everything okay? Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need any help or money?” she asks in a soft and caring voice.
I take a deep breath and try to reassure her, “Nan, everything is fine. I am not in any trouble and I do not need any money. We are just here to take a break from our routine.”
After holding my hands for a moment, she looks at me with a thoughtful expression and then slowly releases them. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here,” she says kindly. I feel a warm gratitude towards her for offering to lend an ear.
My nan asks me if the boys will enjoy eating steak and chips for dinner. I reassure her that they are not picky eaters and will enjoy whatever meal she prepares for them.
She inquires about the well-being of my mother and brother. I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy as my nan and mom haven’t spoken to each other for years now; it’s still a touchy subject. Nevertheless, I try to answer her question as honestly as I can. I explain that my brother is going down a dark path, and unfortunately, he doesn’t seem interested in changing his ways.
I take the last bite of my cake. I turn to Nan and sincerely apologize for my mother’s lack of communication over the past few years. I feel terrible that we missed her recent birthday and share with her how guilty I feel about not trying to stay in touch with her since moving out of my mother’s house.
“I don’t understand why your mother wants nothing to do with me, Tessie,” she says, her eyes filled with tears. I reach out for her hand.
“She always told me it was because you didn’t help us when we were struggling financially,” I reply.
Before I can say anything else, my nan interrupts me and says, “I didn’t help? That’s not true! I’ve been sending money every month for you and Timmy since you were babies, and I still do.”
I’m confused and taken aback by her revelation. “Wait, what?” I say, trying to make sense of it all.
My nan nods in affirmation.
“I know Grandad helped me when I had to move out,” I say.
“Dear, me and grandad always helped. Your mother said to us she always took you on holidays abroad with the money.”
My brother and I only went on one holiday with my mom to a caravan park when I was young. It hits me. The money my nan sent my mom was used on her boyfriends and jet set lifestyle. It’s hard to believe what I’m hearing. My mother has been lying to me all these years. This whole time, my nan has been silently supporting me and my brother without us even knowing it.
During my childhood, I spent my summer vacations at my grandmother’s place with my cousin, Florence. However, there was a strange pattern to these visits. My mother would always instruct me to lie to my grandmother by telling her we had been on a foreign holiday. At the time, I was young and I didn’t understand the reason for this deception. I thought perhaps my mother was trying to impress my grandmother by making it seem like she was taking us on exotic trips and had money. My mother stopped me from going to my grandmother’s when I was fifteen. I always thought it was because she might have found out I lost my virginity in the tree house. However, it makes sense now my mother knew I would have caught on to her lies.
Looking back at my grandfather’s funeral, my mother seemed to be on high alert and hardly allowed me to converse with Nan. She constantly kept an eye on me as if I was about to do something wrong.
My mother has fed me so many lies over the years about my nan and grandad refusing to help that she made me hate them. She said Nan and Grandad only helped once with my moving costs because she begged them. However, looking back now, I think it’s because I picked up the phone to Grandad by chance before my mother could.
How naive and dumb was I not to see something was going on with my mother’s lies? I am so angry with her.
“I am deeply sorry, Nan,” I say as I tightly hold her hands. I explain to my grandmother that neither my brother nor I ever saw any money. I explain that my mother likely spent it on her boyfriends, weddings, and lifestyle.
Nan rubs her fingers over my hand, saying, “It’s not your fault. Knowing this explains a lot of things now, though.” Her comforting touch and words ease some of the weight off of my shoulders. She adds, “What matters most is that we have the opportunity to spend time together now.” The warmth in her voice makes me feel grateful for her presence in my life.
She rises from the chair, looks at me, and says, “Come on, let’s cheer up and go clothes shopping. My treat.” Her hand reaches for her bag and I can see the excitement in her eyes. It seems like she has been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now that it’s finally here, she can’t wait to get going.
NATE
I wipe my damp palms on a blue cloth, slinging it over my shoulder before entering the game room. The sound of an old record player fills the air with classic tunes as I spot Mike and Cain engrossed in a game of pool. Cain stands with a cue in his hand, his eyes focused on the table. Mike leans over the table, calculating his next shot. Walking towards them, I inform them, “The tap had come loose and just needed tightening back up.”
Cain glances over and asks, “All fixed?”
“Yeah,” I reply.
Mike confidently takes his shot and puts the eight ball in the corner pocket, losing the game.
“Fuck!” Mike swears under his breath. Cain smirks and says, “I knew you would fuck up. You owe me twenty dollars.”
I can’t help but chuckle at their banter. Mike pulls cash from his pocket and throws it on the pool table.
