Sitting on the counter in her grandparents' kitchen, four-year-old Addie leaned close to an ancient Kenmore popcorn popper and listened to the oil hiss around the kernels.
"Don't get burned," warned her grandfather Howard who had just poured a quarter cup of multi-colored popcorn into the oil-stained popper. He laid a hand on her shoulder holding her a safe distance from the blackened side of the contraption.
"I won't," Addie said. "I'm just hearing."
"'Listening', stupid," said her brother from the kitchen table where he sat watching cartoons on an iPad.
"Thomas, apologize," Howard said turning to the boy who did not look away from Phineas and Ferb to say he was sorry.
Lettie, the children's grandmother, bumped open the kitchen door with her hip. She carried a bag of groceries in each arm. Pausing, she sighed heavily, "Howard, you're going to ruin that child's appetite with that corn."
"It's not for eating, Mother," Howard said. "It's for crafting." He took his granddaughter off the counter and began unpacking groceries.
"Most of this is dinner," Lettie said. "Don’t bother putting it up."
"And they’re arriving?" Howard asked, trying to deduce what, aside from pot-roast, Lettie was preparing to cook.
"They're releasing Cindy around six. Joan’s picking her up. So seven." Lettie took a can of French-cut string beans down from the shelf where Howard had put it.
"Does that mean we're going home tonight?" Thomas asked finally looking up.
"No, son," Howard said. "Your mother needs time to get resituated without you two running her ragged."
Thomas sighed, "Joan can take care of us while mom gets better. I miss Bobby and Alex. School starts soon; I haven't had a summer."
"If sitting around the house watching TV and running in the back yard like a crazy person isn't the makings of a summer, I must’ve forgotten what it's like." Groceries unpacked, Howard lifted Addie back to the counter.
"Thomas," Lettie said. "Take that thing into the living room. Your program’s giving me a headache."
He paused his show and, grumbling, took it into the other room.
Lettie stared after him for a moment, shaking her head. She looked to Addie with a smile, "What are you making, Sweetness?"
"A crown," Addie said. The first kernel popped, clanking against the top of the popper.
Howard took one of his pre-tied ties off its hanger and slipped it over his head. "Cindy’s family, Mother. Why make such a fuss?"
"She's been you-know-where so long," she glanced at Addie, crafting on the bed, to see if her granddaughter had understood that you-know-where meant hospital. "I want to make a fuss." Lettie buttoned her lace-collared blouse.
"Addie, don't get glue on Grandma's comforter."
Addie shook her head and glued a blue-kerneled puff of corn to the paper crown with Elmer’s-encrusted fingers.
"Thomas," Lettie yelled down the hall. "Are you ready?"
"He's dressed," Howard soothed. "Shall I check on dinner?"
"Just clean her up. I'll see to cooking." On her way out the door, Lettie fastened her pearls.
"Grandma's acting fruity, isn't she?" Howard said to his granddaughter who smiled holding her popcorn-adorned crown up for approval.
Lifting Addie off the bed, Howard gently unstuck her leg from the comforter.
Addie and Thomas stood shouldering for the best view out the front door.
"Children," Lettie said coming up behind them. "Stand back. When your mother gets here, she'll need breathing room. She'll not neglect either of you."
"Mother," Howard admonished. "She had a mild stroke. Her lungs are just fine."
Lettie glared at him and pulled the children back a step as the door opened.
Both children broke free and started to rush the door. Thomas stopped when he saw his mother’s cane. Addie continued touching it gingerly.
"What's the stick for, Mommie?"
Cindy laughed, "For holding Mommie up."
"How’s everybody?" Joan picked Addie up, and held the screen door open as Cindy negotiated the steps into the house.
"Fair to middlin," Howard said smiling. He turned to Cindy. "How's our ex-patient?"
"Great." Cindy shook her cane, "Two more months with this, and the doctors say I’ll be skipping rope."
Lettie sighed, "That's a relief."
"Tired of playing nanny?" Joan asked.
"No," Lettie said curtly.
Thomas looked up at Joan, "Can I hug her?"
Cindy laughed, "Why don't you ask me, Sport? The ears work." She lowered herself slowly down the cane and gave him a one armed squeeze.
"Something smells great," Joan set Addie down to hug Thomas.
"Speaking of which," Lettie said and left without another word.
"Little Lettie Sunshine," Joan mumbled.
Howard patted her shoulder, "Thought you’d never get here."
"I know the feeling," Cindy said straightening herself with a wince. "Got a comfey chair for the temporary crip?"
"Mother, you did yourself proud," Howard said. "Quite a meal."
"Yes," Cindy said holding her stomach. "Feels like I gained ten pounds."
"Dessert now would make me explode." Joan said smiling at Lettie.
"We'll save the cake and ice cream for later," Lettie said to Cindy. "Why don't you all join the little ones in the livingroom? I'll be in directly."
Howard offered his daughter a hand up.
"I'll help in here." Joan leaned close to Cindy winking as she collected her plate and silverware.
"No need," Lettie said flatly. "Go with the others." She pushed open the kitchen door and was gone.
Cindy sat for a moment, one hand on her cane the other in her father's hand.
Howard stared after his wife.
Joan stood, seemed ready to slam the plates on the table. Instead, she picked Howard's up and headed for the kitchen.
Cindy transferred her weight to her cane.
"You'd better help them. Run interference; keep them away from the knives, something." She headed for the living room where an argument was brewing over possession of the Elmer's glue.
Tension hung in the pot-roast-scented air of the kitchen. Lettie spooned mashed potatoes into a Tupperware container with more force than necessary nearly splashing potato particles on the sideboard.
Joan finished rinsing her dishes and went back to the dining room for more.
"Be civil," Howard enunciated clearly.
"I am."
"Try harder. Joan is family too."
Joan returned with more dishes.
Howard relinquished the dish sprayer to Joan, and left to get more dinnerware.
Lettie, hot on his heels, hissed, "I won't accept that she is family."
"That's as may be, but you're going to have to pretend you do and not just tonight." He handed her the last of the dishes and picked up the pot roast and beans.
The clean-up continued in silence. Both women avoided each other's eyes. Howard shrugged and smiled a what-can-you-do smile at Joan when he caught her eye; his wife would not look his way though he had a smile for her too.
Thomas slept through dessert. He laid stretched in the middle of the living room floor Elmer’s glue bottle clutched in one hand, his other arm wrapped around a couch pillow.
"He's down for the count," Howard said leading a mostly icing-free Addie in from the kitchen. He'd missed a spot or two, and she sucked at a patch of dried sweetness on her free wrist.
Lettie stood behind them staring down at Thomas.
"I'm about there myself," Cindy said pushing herself upright on her cane. "When you spend a month mostly in one room, all this moving around wears a body down."
Joan looked at her from the couch, and Cindy nodded. "How about we put these two to bed and get underway?"
"Not yet, " Addie said.
"Why’s that, Hon?" Cindy asked. "Past time for little girls to be in bed."
"Wait," Addie said. She let go Howard's hand and ran upstairs.
"When’re you two coming again?" Howard asked sitting next to Joan on the couch.
"When you want us?" Cindy said. "We don't want to leave the hooligans here much longer."
"Don't you even think of taking them before you're ready, Cindy," Lettie said. She still stood in the doorway to the dining room, her arms crossed.
"It seems such an imposition," Joan said. "They've already been here a month."
"No imposition, Joan," Howard said. "We'll be happy to keep them as long as you need us to."
"We were thinking a week would be enough to get Cindy settled," Joan said to Howard. "How about we come by next weekend and take you out to dinner?"
Addie came in holding her warped crown.
Cindy smiled, "What's that, Addie?"
"It's a crown for the Queen."
"And who's that?" Joan asked.
"Gramma," Addie said holding the crown out to Lettie. "and you... and you are the Princesses." She pointed to Joan and Cindy.
Howard laughed, "Does that make me King?"
"No," Addie said. "You're Granpa, there's no King."
Cindy and Joan laughed.
"Well, I don't think I like that," Howard said smiling. "I want to be King." He picked Addie up and tickled her.
"No, no, no." Addie said laughing, trying to escape.
"Granpas are better."
Joan woke Thomas. "Come on, Tiger. Sack time."
"What about cake?" He rubbed his eyes.
"You've been asleep for an hour." Joan helped him stand, and prodded him gently toward the stairs. "Plenty left for tomorrow."
"Come on, Addie, " Cindy said. "Kisses goodnight, and let's go."
Addie kissed her grandparents, and climbed the stairs with Cindy following slowly behind.
Howard sat on the floor where he'd been tickling Addie and looked up at his wife. Lettie still held the crown in one hand. Howard knew what she was thinking, could almost hear her thoughts ticking by, things she'd said in countless conversations about their daughter, about fault, blame, guilt. He couldn't help but be angry at her for feeling such bitterness when Cindy, Joan, and the children were so happy. He wasn't going to be the one to broach the subject out loud.
Addie giggled upstairs. After a moment of silence, Howard heard the two young women coming down.
"She's in bed now," Cindy said standing in the foyer. "Whether she stays there or not, is your problem tonight."
Howard hugged them goodbye. "See you in a week. Call as often as you like."
Lettie stood in the doorway to the living room. Cindy walked over to give her a kiss on the cheek; Joan held the front door open.
Howard and Lettie followed them as far as the front porch.
Howard waved. And Joan and Cindy waved back as the car roared to life.
"Take care," Lettie said.
Cindy waved once more as Joan eased the car down the drive. In a moment, their tail lights disappeared behind the neighbor's juniper bushes.
They stood in the warm summer air. Noises from the adjacent houses the only sounds they could hear. Howard stared at his wife who turned the popcorn-jeweled crown over and over in her hands. She looked up at him. The tears he expected to see in her eyes weren't present; perhaps that tenderness would never return. He placed a hand on her back for a moment. And, leaving the door open, he went inside to check on Thomas and Addie.