Page 105 of What's the time, Mr. Wolfe
Diego stared at me. “But you’re the spit of your grandmother,” he said.
I shrugged my shoulders. Was I? Sure, I looked Spanish with my long curly hair but if my mother wanted to pass me off as their child, wouldn’t she have been selective when choosing me?
“Oh, Ruby. I don’t know what to say. It sounds so unbelievable. She loved you, I do know that much.”
“I know. I’m struggling with it myself. My... he came here, to the house a few days ago. He confirmed I wasn’t his child, so I know it to be true.”
“He came here!”
“Yep. Now he’s gone again. I can only assume he was after money. Maybe he thought Grandma might have some.”
Diego shook his head and sighed. “I hope you sent him on his way.”
“Oh, I did, don’t worry. Anyway, these are the funeral arrangements,” I said, handing him a card with the details printed on.
“I’ll be there, and if there is anything I can do, you call me.”
I smiled at patted his hand.
“This man of yours, he’s doing you good. You’ve changed, Ruby. Not so...”
“Bolshy? Annoying? Late?” I chuckled.
“All of those, but you’re smiling. I haven’t seen you do that in years.”
“I know, and I feel like I shouldn’t be. Grandma has only just died and I’m laughing and smiling. I’m dining in restaurants. I’m living a life as if she didn’t exist, or she’d died a long time ago.”
“She did die a long time ago, Ruby,” he said. “We all grieve in very different ways. You lost her body suddenly, but maybe you already grieved when she lost her mind, and you lost your grandma for real.”
I stood and he followed. He held my shoulders and kissed my forehead.
“We will always be family, don’t you forget it,” he added as I left the restaurant.
I walked back to the house I shared with Grandma knowing I’d be safe. When I opened the door, the hallway was clear of the disability items. I walked around making a note of what I wanted collected to take to Sebastian’s. It wasn’t much, just some personal items, some childhood things, and the trunk of clothes in the loft. I wouldn’t climb up there, though. I chuckled at the thought of how cross Sebastian had been. My safety was obviously very important to him, but he was prone to overreacting. I’d have to watch out for that.
I called him.
“Hey, baby, how did it go?” he asked when he answered.
“Good. I’m at the house and I’m going to box up some things I want. Other than that, the house can be handed back to the landlord,” I said.
“Good, maybe the landlord will come along and help you.”
“I’d like a lift home.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
He cut off the call and I smiled. When he arrived, I had everything, except the trunk, piled in the hall.
“I’m not going to get all that in my car,” he said, staring at it.
“I wasn’t expecting you to. I’ll get a man and a van, or whatever. I want the trunk from the loft, oh, and there is a record player up there I want as well.”
“Tony can sort it. Make a list.”
I waved a piece of paper in the air, he took it. “Where now, my princess?” he said.
“Princess? Is that a step up from baby?”
