"Really?" There's genuine surprise in the question. "He talked about you a lot. He said your work ethic is amazing."
I'm beginning to wonder if she doesn't understand the meaning of sarcasm. I can picture Mr. Wilkinson having dinner with his granddaughters as he grumbles on about what a great guy I am, all the while seething because I ignored all twenty five of his phone calls that day. "He was pretty amazing himself."
"I couldn't have asked for a better grandfather." She smiles softly. "He always said that he was specially chosen to be my granddad."
"That's lovely," I grin. "I'm hoping one day I can be the type of grandfather he was."
"He practically adopted me and my sister after our mother died."
"Your mother died?"
"When I was young," she says in a muted tone. "It was an overdose. It was accidental they said."
I don't know how to respond other than with what's expected. "I'm sorry."
"Granddad wasted no time taking us in." She folds her left hand over the right in her lap. "It was an easy transition for us. He lived next door with his wife so we just took our pillows and clothing and moved in."
"You moved in with him and your grandmother?"
"Yes," she chuckles softly. "I mean no."
I cock a brow. "I'm not following."
"She never thought of us as her grandchildren." She waves her hand through the air. "She never really paid us much mind."
"Your grandmother didn't consider you her grandchildren?"
"Granddad didn’t explain this to you?" She tilts her head to the side. "You don't know, do you?"
I don't know much of anything lately it seems. "He explained that you and your sister were close to him," I offer as a starting point. I obviously need her to fill in many of the blanks.
"We lived next door to him and his wife when we were children."
I don't interrupt. I only nod, encouraging her to continue.
"He was our neighbor. He and his wife didn't have any children."
Wait. What? "Your mother wasn't his daughter?"
"No." Her tone is firm. "She lived in the house with our dad until he took off."
"Mr. Wilkinson was your neighbor?"
She sighs deeply. "He was that to begin with. Then he became our granddad. We loved him so much."
I meet her eyes with my own. "He loved you a lot too. He told me as much."
"He always said that families aren't about blood. They're about love." She tips her chin down with the words. "I was lucky to have him."
"He was lucky to have you too."
Chapter 21
"Nathan?"
"Yes?" My head darts up from the desk in my home office. "Do you need something, Jessica?"
"Are you busy?" Her eyes move from my face to the screen of my laptop.