Page 38 of Love Hazard

“Who is it?” Hazel ran around the corner in a towel andgaped. “Oh. Hi, Daddy, we were just…cleaning.”

My dad stood behind him, arms crossed, then shook his headand whispered, “Told you they just needed some time together. Classic Nadine.Put them in a tough spot and… look, now we have grandkids.”

Hazel gasped. “That is…certainly not—”

“Happening.” Was I passing out? I had tunnel vision, thengripped her. “I mean, we’re obviously dating now, but it wasn’t because of you.It’s not like you can control nature.”

Mr. Titus handed over a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill to mydad and continued shaking his head. “I think I need a beer. I hate beingwrong,” Hazel’s dad said.

“My wife called it,” Dad replied. “She and Grandma bet threedays before Grandma’s passing.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Hazel asked. “Bet what?”

Mr. Titus looked over his shoulder at Hazel. “I can’t reallymake eye contact with you right now, but part of her will, and part of her betwith this one’s mom”—he pointed at me—“was that whenthings got tense between you, all we needed to do was send you on a trip. Forceyou together. Grandma Nadine was convinced that you guys were in love, and sowas your mom.” Mr. Titus nodded his chin at me. “I mean, I still might kill youlater, and for the love of God, put on some clothes, but it looks like I waswrong in this scenario. Grandma’s matchmaking magic lives on. After all, shedid matchmake almost everyone in this family.” He shared a look with my dad.“Friends included.”

Dad smiled. “Wouldn’t change a thing. Now, let’s go havethat beer while we give them some privacy.”

Both dads still looked like they wanted to ground us like wewere twelve.

Instead, they walked off.

I closed the door.

It clicked shut.

Hazel stood still next to me. “They set us up.”

“I can’t decide if it’s weird or if I should profusely thankthem, which makes it even weirder.”

Hazel dropped her towel. “Maybe we just focus on the presentand go from there? Fill in some of those damaged emotional cracks, date, andget crazy. After all, Great-Grandma’s never wrong.”

I thought about my dad, about his marriage with my mom, about the good times despite the sadness, and Iknew she was right. Maybe I wouldn’t have a lot more time with my mom, but themoments she was given, wow…how spectacular.

“You’re right.” I pulled Hazel into my arms. “We all haveour spiritual gifts. Hers was matchmaking.”

“And mine?” Hazel asked.

“Digging holes.”

“And yours?” She laughed.

“Standing by your side,” I whispered. “For as long as you’lllet me.”

ChapterFourteen

Hazel

ONE YEAR LATER

Dear Hazel,

If you’re reading this, then that means I’m currentlydriving God to drink. Then again, water into wine, am I right? Anyway, I wantedto send you one last thing, and while I’m sitting here in this boring-as-hellroom wondering when I’m gonna kickthe bucket—high heels on, thank you very much—I figured I’d impart somewisdom on you.

The colors aren’t black and white. Sometimes, they’regray. Other times, they’re red, pink, blue, or yellow, just like one scar neverlooks the same as another. The way the love around you fills, it shifts andchanges. It grows.

You’ll have setbacks, you’ll have some of the best daysof your life, followed by days where you want to crawl into the corner orscream into a pillow. Humans are like earthquakes waiting to happen. You knowthere could be damage, but you keep going, you keep fighting. And then if orwhen it does happen, you manage it, you fix it. You allow the cracks to fill,and you keep going, knowing it could happen again. But you become wiser for it.

Marriage is like that, Hazel. Wear lipstick for you, notjust for him. Dress up at least once a week, even if it means you’re walkingaround your house by yourself. The three Ss never cease to solve all problems:a good shave, a shower, and sex—in whatever order you prefer. And at the end ofthe day, Hazel, my dear girl, if you’re a mess, if you’re chaos, if you’redirty, if you can’t even look at yourself in the mirror and feel nothing butpain? Well done. You’ve lived.

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