Chapter 13: Her Choice

I scrambled some eggs with the usual enhancements to give them a little heat and fried up some turkey bacon. Turkey bacon? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Sallie made dire threats to the old coffee maker; it eventually yielded to her and provided a fresh pot. I made a mental note to insist that if either Rafael or Michael became part of the household, they would be required to bring with them a more modern brewing appliance.

My grandmother and Michael arrived in the kitchen just as I finished cooking. Michael was back in last night’s clothes, of course. There were signs that neither of them had slept particularly well, but both seemed cheerful, smiling frequently.

I knew Sallie was very interested in getting a debriefing from my grandmother about last night. But every time she tried to ask, I would touch her arm and shake my head slightly. It would be inappropriate to ask for intimate details while Michael was here with us.

Fairly quickly, though, Michael told us he needed to get to work. He shook our hands and thanked us for breakfast, then hugged and kissed my grandmother with obvious intensity and sweetness. She sent him on his way with a breathy sigh, then went to the window to watch him walk to his car and drive off.