My Year with Grandma

Mother and Father

I don't know how long I've been asleep, but it feels like I've been out for hours. I can't remember the last time I felt this rested. I vaguely remember the ambulance ride and getting checked into my room.

The babies were taken into the NICU by Rikki because they were so early and small. Jams made sure I was good before leaving for the night. I awoke to find Jimmy sleeping on the couch in my room and Gram reading in the chair. "Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning." I sat up a little in bed surveying my surroundings. "What time is it?"

"Just a little before six. How are you feeling?"

"Rested. You guys been here all night?"

"We came as soon as we could get away from the barbecue. You were already asleep, so we decided to wait here and got comfortable."

"Thank you. For yesterday, I mean. And I'm sorry for ruining the blankets."

She laughed a little. "Blankets are washable. Besides, it's not the first time we've had to make impromptu accommodations for an impatient infant."

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I don't know what happened. I was sleeping, having one of those weird dreams with Jude and the next thing I knew the babies were coming. I didn't know it would happen so fast like that."

"It's not that uncommon. If memory serves, you came that fast too."

"Yeah?"

"It's been a while since you've had dreams of your friend, hasn't it?"

"A few months, yeah."

"Learn anything interesting?"

I scanned through the memory of the dream. Nothing stood out as new to me. Mostly it was just confirmation of what my mother had already told me in letters. Except... the grandmother. "Do you know the name, Hilda Jorgenson?"

"Hilda, yes. Jorgenson, no? Why?"

"A woman by that name came into his room while I was there. Said she was his grandmother and that she was going to take him back to New York with her."

"New York? Hmmm."

"Yeah. He was really excited to be going home with her."

She set her book on the table next to the chair. "Is your friend's name Jorgenson. I don't recall if you told me."

"It's not. His is Hipkins."

"Hipkins??"

"You know that name?"

"I knew someone with that name once. But I'm sure it's not the same family."

I looked at her warily because she seemed to be evasive. "Do you think his grandmother is your cousin? The one you told me about that ran away with your first husband." Yes, I was grasping at straws and I know I am way off base, but I just wanted to see if I could shock her. Though if it turned out to be true, I would be the shocked one. Imagine how awful it would be to find out I was related to Jude. I cringed at the thought.

"That is a stretch of the imagination, isn't it? I suppose it is a possibility, I guess. But only if his grandmother is in fact my cousin and his grandfather is my ex-husband, then yes, Jude would be your cousin. But only by marriage, there's no blood there."

"No blood? How's that."

"No. My cousin, Hilda is my uncle's stepdaughter. And since you are not in fact Jeremy's biological offspring, you wouldn't share blood with any of his father's kids either. So, you'd be safe. I wouldn't entertain that idea too deeply though. Hilda is not that uncommon of a name and New York is a big place."