J & P Book 6 - Remember Me And Smile

Chapter Four

"That's better, Grace," he heard Auntie Aimee chirp from Grace's bedroom. "All tidy. Now, shall we see how Andrew's getting on?"

He was sitting at the top of the stairs, trying to overhear what was being said. He knew Granny was angry, but he'd never really understood why she hated his mum so much. The raised voices had stopped now, and he could hear Grandad Alan talking sternly. But he'd heard some of what Granny had shouted. Dirty little affair. You destroyed him. Disgusting.

Didn't she understand that his parents had loved each other? Couldn't she see that everything he had been told that she had done to try and keep them apart had just made them stronger? What exactly was her problem?

"Andrew," said Auntie Aimee. "I don't think you should be..."

"I'm not a kid," Andrew said. "I'm going back down."

Auntie Aimee nodded, and he set off back downstairs. He walked into the room to see Granny stood in the middle of the room, looking at the floor, and his mum in tears, hugging Grandad Alan.

"Can you lot stop arguing now, please?" he begged.

"Oh, honey," Mum said, getting up and going to hug him. "I'm so sorry. Your Granny just had a few things to say to me. But I think she knows she was wrong, and hopefully she's going to apologise."

"I will do no such thing," Granny muttered. "I've got no intention of making my peace with you and your self-righteous father. I just want to see my grandchildren."

Auntie Aimee had followed Andrew downstairs. "Florence, why don't you take the kids out somewhere. Don't expose them to the tension between you and Jenny."

"I'll do that," Granny agreed. "Have they eaten?"

"No," Mum said, sadly.

"Right, then I'll take them out for lunch," Granny announced.

"You'll need Grace's car seat," his mum explained. "I'll get it."

She headed out of the front door, and Andrew noticed Grandad Alan looking menacingly at Granny. "The way I understand it from Jenny, you were not a good mother to your son."

"She would say that," snapped Granny. "She drove us apart."

"I'm going to go and get Grace," Auntie Aimee said. "Andrew, go and get your shoes and coat. Maybe you and Granny could decide where you're going, before Grace comes down and demands a McDonalds."

"Dreadful place," snarled Granny.

Andrew laughed. "I'm sure we can think of somewhere a bit nicer, can't we Granny?"

Granny looked at him and smiled a genuine smile. "I'm sure."

***

They had gone to one of the pub restaurants with a children's soft play area, and Grace had seen some of her schoolfriends in there. She'd asked if she could go and play with them after she'd eaten her dinner, and Granny hadn't had a problem with that. So, Andrew was on his own with Granny now, eating his ice cream.

"What was my dad like when he was my age?" he asked.

"He was very very clever," Granny said, proudly. "He got As in all of his GCSEs. And the same for his A levels."

"I'm doing really well at school," Andrew said. "Mum says I get that from Dad."

"Hmm. Well, he worked hard. He wanted to make me and his Dad proud of him, I think. And we were."