Page 11 of Kiss and Tell

Lucy swallowed. This was always the hard part of the story.

“Until?” Joey prompted.

“Grandma was diagnosed with dementia when she was seventy-five. We’d noticed little things, like her forgetting names, losing things, struggling to make a recipe she’d been cooking for years. After about a year, Granddaddy put his foot down and took her to the doctor. She was in the early stage of Alzheimer’s at that point, but we were warned it would eventually get worse.”

“That’s not an easy disease…for the one suffering from it or the caregivers,” Joey mused.

“You can say that again. Anyway, Granddaddy was a sucker for romcom movies, watching them with me and my sisters all the time. Or at least whenever it wasn’t Remi’s turn to pick that night’s film. She always chose horror flicks,” she said with a shudder. “If I never see one of those godawfulSawmovies again, it’ll be too soon.”

Joey and Miles chuckled.

Lucy continued to sway on the swing. “One night, shortly after we learned of Grandma’s diagnosis, we watched50 First Dates. I’d gotten a video camera for Christmas that year, and Granddaddy asked if I would make a video of him and Grandma talking about how they met and fell in love.”

“What a cool idea,” Joey said.

“And because I loved romcoms as much as Granddaddy, I suggested we set it upWhen Harry met Sallystyle.”

She could tell from Joey’s smile and Miles’s furrowed brow which guy got it and which one didn’t, so she looked at Miles as she explained. “In that movie, there are all these snippets from couples sitting in their homes, on their couches, telling their love stories.”

“Ah,” Miles said.

“So we did the same. Grandma and Granddaddy sat on the couch during one of Grandma’s good days and they reminisced, told their story. I was taking a graphics class at the time, and my teacher let me stay after school to edit the footage every day for a month. The first time I played it for Granddaddy, he cried, said it was perfect and just what he wanted.

“Grandma’s dementia advanced quickly. For three years, he watched that video with her practically every single day. It always calmed her down whenever she was agitated. When she was having a good day, it made her smile and sometimes even laugh.”

“She lived at home?” Miles asked.

Lucy nodded. “We all took turns taking care of her.” She tried to quickly swipe away the tear trickling down her cheek.

Joey saw it. He rose, gesturing for her to scoot over, which she did. He joined her on the swing, reaching to take her hand in his. He gave it a gentle squeeze, then held on to it. “You gave them an amazing gift.”

She sniffled. “Grandma died when I was twenty-one, then Granddaddy a year later of lung cancer. It took him quick. I think he wanted it that way. He missed Grandma too much to live without her.”

Miles leaned forward. “You took care of him too?”

“I’m blessed with a big family. We set up a rotating schedule toward the end so Granddaddy was never alone. We even put a cot next to the hospital bed we moved into his room so there was always someone with him at night.”

“You’re too young to have lost so many people,” Miles mused.

She smiled sadly. “I still have Aunt Claire and Uncle Rex, my cousins and sisters.”

“So that video launchedKiss and Tell?” Joey asked.

Lucy nodded. “We played it at Granddaddy’s funeral. He was well-loved in this area, and the funeral director said it was the largest funeral Gracemont had ever had. I was inundated with requests from people in town to film their stories after that. So, I did. It was easier to share the files on YouTube because they’re quite large. One of the first couples I filmed asked if I would make their video public so they could show their kids, grandkids, and friends who lived out of state. It sort of evolved from there because it turned out, everyone in town wanted to watch everyone else’s.

“Remi was the one who came up with the idea of calling itKiss and Tell. So, I created an intro, got permission to share the stories, and before I knew it, my views were growing, along with my subscribers. Nowadays, I get a check from YouTube every month, and I’ve had at least fifty couples travel here from all over the place to sit on my couch and tell their stories.”

“Damn, Lucy. That sounds amazing!” Joey lifted her hand to kiss it. Only Joey could make a simple gesture feel both sweet and sexy at the same time.

“And not at all like a hobby,” Miles added with a bit of force.

She loved the way Miles didn’t bother to hide the fact he didn’t like Scottie or his opinions. “I love being brewmaster, but if I’m being completely honest, my dream job would be to travel the country, filming people from all different walks of life on their own couches, sharing their stories onKiss and Tell. Social media is overrun with bad news and contentiousness and anger. I’d like the opportunity to spread a little happiness and show the power of love.”

Joey released her hand, but only so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder, tugging her against him. Lucy couldn’t resist the warmth of his hold, so once again, she leaned into it.

“I hope you get your wish because that’s exactly what the world needs. And I gotta tell you, it’s a great dream because traveling is the best part of makingManPower. Before working on the show, my explorations had been limited to the East Coast. Now, Miles and I have seen so many places we never would have even known existed before the show.”

“You’re so lucky.” She reluctantly stood when she felt Miles’s eyes on the two of them, his frown back in place. “And with that, I think I should drive you back to the cabin now because that was a ridiculously long bedtime story. I’m sure you must be sick of the sound of my voice by this point.”

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