Page 13 of Promised Love

For a beat, I see Grandma’s mouth moving, but then her face gets blurry. I feel Dad’s hands tightening around me, and then everything is dark.

Before I open my eyes, I can sense four heads hovering over me.

“Why did you tell her like that, Dad?” my mom whispers. “We discussed that we’d ease her into this news slowly.”

“I’m still not convinced about this, Laura.” Annoyance is clear in Dad’s voice.

But he’s quickly shushed by Grandma. “You tell them, Frank,” she says to Grandpop. “This is how it’s supposed to happen. The Spencers—”

“Dad, please tell me whatever Grandma is so anxious about has nothing to do with me,” I whisper, slowly opening my eyes to find I’m lying on the couch.

“You scared us all, tums. Are you feeling better?” Dad places his hand over my forehead, and I grasp it before he can pull it away.

“I’m fine. But what’s going on?”

It’s Grandma who perches on the couch next to me. “You know my mother, your great-grandmother, was a pillar of this community. She was a savvy entrepreneur and businesses all over town followed her advice.”

I nod, knowing everything by heart.

“Do you agree that it’s our responsibility to make sure her promises are fulfilled?”

I can already feel this question is a double-edged sword. There’s no right answer. But still, I nod.

“My mother had a very good friend, and they decided to turn their friendship into something deeper.”

My brain immediately flies to the lesbian romance novel I’m currently reading. Who knew my great-grandmother was so ahead of her time.

Before I can figure out where my great-grandfather fit into this picture, Grandma says, “So they made a pact. They would marry off one of their kids to each other. Unfortunately, they both ended up having only daughters, so the promise shifted to my shoulders.”

“What?” I look at my parents. Was their story of meeting at the inn a lie? “Please, Dad, don’t tell me you married Mom because of a silly promise.”

I shrink back at Grandma’s offended gasp. “Autumn! Don’t disrespect your great-grandmother.”

“I’m not disrespecting anyone, Grandma. But it’s…wrong to make such a promise.” My voice escalates as I continue. “Their kids weren’t toys to be exchanged. They were people with personal likes, dislikes, and expectations.”

Dad grabs my shoulder.

“Were you and Mom…” I can’t even finish the sentence, but thankfully Dad shakes his head.

“It was Uncle Tommy’s duty to fulfill the wish of the elders.”

My breath hitches hearing the name, which is rarely spoken out loud in our home. All I know about Uncle Tommy is that he was a few years older than Mom and he died in a car crash.

“He was supposed to marry Martha Spencer. But like you, he called it a fool’s promise and walked away. The Spencers waited a long time, and then Martha started seeing someone else.”

Grandma looks at Grandpop, who very subtly shakes his head, and I don’t know what they decide to hide, because so far, everything Grandma told me sounds like a story from some fantasy movie.

“Martha died, leaving behind her son, and you already know about Uncle Tommy’s accident. Everyone believed that was because of the promise.”

“What?” My hands are clammy. “You can’t believe that, Dad. It’s nonsense. How do the deaths of two people who are living their separate lives have any connection?”

“Because they died in the same accident,” Grandpop says carefully. “Their cars crashed into each other.”

I feel like I’m in a weird dream.

Fate? Or just a sad coincidence.

Grandpop drops the final bomb on me. “That day, we decided whatever happens, we’ll make sure your great-grandmother’s promise is fulfilled. And we visited the Spencers to talk about you.”

---