Gram hollered at Luke, “Oh, thank God, I need a strong arm to hold on to, so I can get up off this dang diggity grass. Lily, I told your mama I needed a chair. My legs don’t work the way they used to. Come over here and give me hugs and help me up. I have to piddle. Pretty soon, Calla won’t be the only one around here wearing diapers,” she muttered the last part. Luke leaned over and helped her up. Once she was on her feet, she gave us both a hug. “I keep missing you, Lily. You have to stop coming over here when I’m asleep.”

“Or watching Jeopardy,” I teased, and she smiled sheepishly.

Gram was about an inch taller than Rose and me. She’d always told us we got our height from her, then she would say, “You’re welcome.” She was tiny, with short, curly white hair that used to be red—we got that from her too. And a big attitude. Rose got the attitude. I did not. Gram was larger than life.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t leave yet.” She rushed off toward the garage apartment.

Luke and Dylan had run off together. I laughed as he swept Dylan up to sit on his shoulders. Dylan held a bottle of bubbles, it dripped all over Luke’s head every time he put the wand in for a reload. I shook my head and sat down next to my mother and Calla. I cuddled Calla into my lap and looked at my mother out of the corner of my eye.

“Please don’t freak out and make a big deal of this. We’re taking it slow.”

She sighed and wiped away a tear. “Lily, I’m so happy. And Diana would be beside herself. I wish she were here to see this. Though, if she were here, he never would have left in the first place…”

We shared a sad smile. Luke had been close to his mom. His main reason for joining the Army was to get away from his father. Luke’s mom had been an angel on earth, and we all still missed her.

“Yeah, then we wouldn’t have lost all this time.”

Calla put her hands into my hair and tugged it. She wasn’t used to seeing it down. She pulled my face to hers and kissed my nose, well, more like put my nose in her mouth. I pulled back and kissed her forehead.

“Things have a way of working out.” Mom stroked Calla’s hair. “We wouldn’t have this little darling if you hadn’t been with Will.”

She was right. There was no point in dwelling on what could have been. “I hope Jane will be okay with all of this,” I said.

“She loves you. She’ll understand. She’ll always be a part of this family.”