Destiny Ever-Changing by Tasha Ivey Read Free Book Online Page A

reenters the house.
    I stay out on the back porch for a little longer, and when I hear her in the kitchen, I go inside to wash up and lend a hand. She works methodically around the kitchen, seeming as happy as a lark. She loves to cook, but she rarely has the opportunity to anymore. She sometimes has a friend over for lunch, but she's usually home alone.
    I peel the potatoes and put them on the stove to boil, right next to the corn-on-the-cob. Meanwhile, Nana fries the chicken and makes her scrumptious homemade biscuits. Once everything is finished and put on the table, we realize that we've cooked for a family of 10.
    "Looks like we're having leftovers for lunch tomorrow!" I laugh.
    She stands back in awe of the amount of food. "It does appear that we went a bit overboard. I guess we'd better get started!"
    We both sit down at the table and silently stuff ourselves until we can't eat another bite.
    "I think you're right, Laura. We'll be having fried chicken for a few days."
    "I am so full!" I say as I take my plate to the sink. "You can't cook like this anymore while I'm here, or I'm bound to gain twenty pounds!"
    Nana winks. "I told you that I was going to fatten you up. You could stand to gain a few pounds."
    "I'll gain more than a few if you keep this up. In fact, I was thinking about taking a walk on the beach after my stomach settles a bit. I have to do something to keep this fried chicken off my rear end. You should join me. It will be just like old times."
    "Oh, I can't walk like I did back then. I'm lucky to make it down to the beach and back. You should go, though. It will be good for you to have that time to yourself. You knowto think."
    "Maybe you're right," I admit. "Before I do, though, I'm going to bring in my things from the car. Am I sleeping in the loft bedroom?"
    Nana shakes her head. "I guess I never mentioned it to you. I changed the loft bedroom into my sewing room."
    "Oh, that's fine," I say. "I can just sleep on the couch."
    "Nonsense, you're not sleeping on that tiny couch. I had all of the furniture moved from the loft bedroom into the room above the garage, so you can sleep up there."
    "I thought that was Grandpa's office and storage room."
    "Well," she explains, "After your Grandpa Sam passed away, I went through a lot of that stuff and gave it awayonly keeping a few special items. I knew I would need a guest room if anyone visited, so I hired someone to remodel it. The men even moved the furniture for me, since I cooked a nice meal for them."
    "Oh, okay. I'll get my stuff out of the car."
    I grab my toiletry bag and a small overnight bag with two changes of clothing in it that I packed in case I stopped at a hotel on the way back home. I'm a little worried about the sleeping arrangements for the next few days. I remember my grandpa's office was a dingy, dirty mess. There used to be papers piled everywhere, boxes piled against every wall, and the smell was that of an old locker room. It was terrible, but he never would allow Nana to clean up there. He would tell her that it was his room, and he'd clean it if he thought it needed it. I guess he never thought it did.
    As I close my trunk, Nana is coming out of the house, carrying a set of keys. We walk to the garage and enter the side door. Turning the light on, Nana shows me up a short flight of stairs against the side wall that leads up to an old wood door, the same one that has always been here. She unlocks it and stands back for me to enter ahead of her.
    I can't believe what I'm seeing. The room is better than any bedroom I've ever had. The walls are a vibrant ocean blue, and the plush carpet is the color of sand, giving you the feeling that you're at the beach. There is an antique four-post bed with a matching white dresser and bookshelf. Separated by a half wall, the back of the space has a little living room with a small sofa, coffee table, and television. Hanging on the wall over the bed, there is a large print of a lighthouse with an