Page 105 of A Very Merry Mistake

I walk past the dining room and turn into the kitchen, where a tall cake sits on the counter. It warms my heart knowing she spent the day baking this for me. I’d have felt guilty if I hadn’t visited after she did this. I cut two pieces, put them on plates, and then grab two forks.

When I return to the living room, I hand her one and sit in the recliner beside hers.

“What’s on your mind?” Mawmaw asks.

Lying to her is the equivalent of lying to Jesus, so I lay it on her. I only leave out the sexual stuff, but honestly, that’s just a tiny piece of my and Claire’s relationship.

She listens, nodding and shaking her head when it’s appropriate. It feels good to put it on the table. “So what’s the problem?” she asks when I’m done.

I gave her the abridged version and explained every detail I could, but she still acts like she doesn’t understand.

“Mawmaw, I just told you what happened.”

“I heard you. Do you feel like things were built on a lie when you were alone? That she was playin’ a character?”

“Maybe she’s a good liar,” I say. “I wouldn’t put anything past her at this point, not considering.”

Mawmaw shakes her head and sets her half-eaten slice of cake on the small table beside the couch. “Honey, when I was younger, I could have had any man I wanted in Texas.”

“Come on,” I groan, not knowing where this story is going.

“No, you’ll listen, because I think it’s relevant, even with your heehaws about it. Anyway.” She glares at me for interrupting, and I sit quietly while she finishes. “Before I met your grandfather, I could’ve married a very wealthy man. To everyone, he was perfect for me. He had unlimited amounts of money from a well-off family. He was charming in public because no one ever spent much time with him alone. However, I had. With people like Claire, there isn’t much pretending behind closed doors. That’s where you get to learn the real them. The man I almost considered marrying was a monster. He was cruel. The public persona of him was just a mere mask. Now, was Claire a monster?”

“No. Not at all. She was kind. Shy at times. She laughed. And smiled. We even made a gingerbread house.”

“So you’re mad at Claire’s public persona and because she couldn’t tell you who she was. Put yourself in her shoes for a brief moment. Would you want to tell her who you were, knowing the reaction she’d give? I bet my bingo money you wouldn’t.” She shakes her head. “The woman I met, before you shooed her away, wouldn’t have looked me in the eyes had she planned to take the farm away. I’m usually a good judge of character.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes.

“I think she’s misunderstood, and you played right into that and treated her just like everyone in her life does: like an outcast who doesn’t belong.”

I suck in a ragged breath. I never thought of it that way. “So now what?”

She shrugs. “I don’t have all the answers. But you need time.”

“Something we don’t have.”

“I’ll be right back.” Grandma stands up and walks away while I unlock my phone and scroll through the pictures Claire sent me of herself. I look at them, and an overwhelming amount of sadness overtakes me. Am I the one who’s overreacting? Did I not give her a chance to explain herself? But she lied. If she’d lie about that, what else is she capable of?

Mawmaw eventually returns, and I lock my phone and put it away. She’s carrying a jewelry box in her hand. Carefully, she opens it and pulls out a key.

“I want you to take this.”

I stand, and she puts it in my palm. “What does it go to?”

“A safety deposit box located at a bank in Dallas.”

I give her a look. “What’s inside it?”

“I don’t know. My father gave it to me when I was about to be engaged to that awful man. He’d told me if I ever needed a way out, I’d have what I needed in that box. Thankfully, I met your grandpa, and the rest is history. Should never underestimate how easily a good man can win over the heart of a lady.”

I swallow as I look down at it, and she hands me some paperwork. The date in the corner makes my jaw drop. “Grandma, this was fifty-five years ago.”

“Maybe whatever is in that box will help us not lose the farm. I don’t know and never needed to check it. I think right now is the perfect time. We all need a lifeline.”

“Okay,” I say. “I have to work tomorrow, though.”

“I’ll take care of it, sweetie. I’ll let your mama know you’re doing official business for Mawmaw.”

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