Everything Has Changed

Chapter Twenty Eight: Talk

Chapter Twenty Eight: Talk

I bounce slightly on the front porch, shivering. The wind is ripping through the bitter air.

The porch light flicks on and I hear the handle turning, and then the door is pulled open.

Grandad stands before me,  a worried look on his face.

When his eyes rest on me, he sighs quietly and shakes his head, stepping out onto the porch to pull me into a warm hug. He smells familiar and I haven't seen him since middle school.

After a moment, he pulls away and kisses my forehead, and then he pulls me into the house and shuts the door.

Nana is standing right there, and Mom is hesitating across the room.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so glad you're okay." Nana says as she pulls me into a hug. "You got so tall since the last time I saw you."

I smile a little.

Do I say hi to my mother?

I should probably just run, but I think about all the cars flipping on the highway and shake my head.

I'm stuck here at least until the storm blows over.

We all get kind of quiet, and then Mom breaks the silence.

"Your father is beside himself. You should call him and let him know you're okay."

Her voice is very calm and I know she's trying hard to not freak out, and so am I.

"I don't have my phone." I mumble, looking away from her.

"Here kiddo." Grandad hands me his cell phone.

I take it and I'm not surprised to see it's a flip phone. He doesn't have a password either, but I guess you can't on flip phones. I had a slide phone for my first phone in middle school and that had a password, but it wasn't really a password, it was just a safety lock with instructions on how to unlock it. It wasn't to prevent anybody from getting into my phone. It was mostly to prevent butt dialing.

I dial Dad's number and hold my breath.

It rings once before he answers, as if he was sitting by his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Dad."

"Gracelyn! Oh my god!" He says. "What are you thinking? Where are you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm at Nana and Grandads and I'm fine."

"What were you thinking?" He demands. "I can't believe you! There's a missing persons report on you!"

"Yeah I know. I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?" He asks. "You should have called me! We could have planned this if you wanted to speak with your Mom! We could have done this safely, and I could have come with you."

"Well I didn't want to." I say.

Had it been planned, I would have had time to think it over.

I'd have had time to back out.

"I just..." he sighs. "Grace, do not leave their house. Give the phone to Grandad."

I hand the phone to Grandad and he takes it.

"He wants to talk to you." I mumble.

"Are you hungry?" Nana asks. "Thirsty? Tired? How is your car? Did you slip on ice? The roads are horrible."

"I bought chains at Walmart." I say."And my car is fine. She's a trooper."

She shakes her head at me.