Winter's Tide by Lisa Williams Kline Read Free Book Online Page B

onto a stretcher like they did on TV? Was there any blood? Was she in a lot of pain? Would she have to have surgery?
    I changed my mind. I dragged my big blue suitcase out of my closet.
    In my whole life, I had never seen Grammy Verra sick or in bed. I always thought of her as strong and in charge. Thinking of her in a hospital bed made me feel scared. Like some part of the world wasn’t right any more.
    I sat down on my bed.
    The summer that Mama and Daddy decided to separate, I had gone to Grammy Verra’s house to stay for a while. She lived in a sunny two-bedroom condo notfar from the beach at Emerald Isle. Even though I’d had my own bedroom, most of the nights I would sleep in Grammy’s bed with her. I’d fall asleep with her rubbing my back and talking softly to me. During the day, she took me out on the beach where she sat under an umbrella while I built sandcastles. She also signed me up for a sea-turtle program at the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and went with me when we strolled the beach looking for sea-turtle nests. Most of all, she talked with me about Mama and Daddy.
    â€œWhat did I do wrong?” I’d asked her. “Is this because of me?”
    â€œAbsolutely not. It has nothing to do with you, honey,” she said. “They may not be able to live together anymore, but they both still love you more than words can say. And that will never change.”
    And during those two weeks I stayed with Grammy, I felt like Grammy would be there for me no matter what happened with my parents. Her condo became a safe place for me. When Mama had come to pick me up, I clung to Grammy, not wanting to go with Mama. I remembered those two weeks with Grammy just like they were yesterday, even though it had all happened when I was in fifth grade.
    I started packing my sweatshirts and socks. It seemed like all I’d done for the past few days was packand unpack. First packing to go to Mama’s. Then packing to come back here. Now packing again to go to Grammy Verra’s.
    Would Grammy need surgery? Grammy Verra was old. Wasn’t anesthesia more dangerous for old people?
    My phone rang. It was Noah.
    â€œYou didn’t answer my text message so I decided to call you instead,” he said. “Hope that’s okay. I’m learning ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles, and I was wondering if I could come play it for you.”
    Oh no. Could he have a crush on me? Had I led him on? I’d have to be careful about how I talked to him.
    â€œI’m sorry I didn’t answer,” I said. “There’s a lot going on.” I made a neatly folded pile of my tops and put them in the suitcase on top of my sweatshirts.
    â€œIs everything okay? You sound funny,” he said.
    â€œIt’s just … my grandmother just got taken to the hospital. We have to leave today to go to her house.”
    â€œOh, man. Sorry.”
    â€œYeah, me too. I’m really worried about her.”
    â€œWhere does she live?”
    â€œEmerald Isle.”
    â€œHow far away is that?”
    â€œAbout five hours.”
    â€œOh. So do you think you’ll be there for the rest of Christmas vacation?”
    â€œI have no idea. This is all really sudden.”
    â€œOkay, well.” His voice kind of dropped with disappointment. “I hope everything is okay with your grandmother.”
    â€œThanks. Talk to you later.”
    I tossed my phone on my bed. He definitely had a crush on me. He’d been hoping to get together sometime before break was over. Had I led him on? I could feel my cheeks get warm when I thought about it. Maybe I should stop being nice to him. It was good that I was going to be gone for a few days.
    By the time the garage door opened and Daddy came in, my big blue suitcase was packed, and I was downstairs waiting for everyone. He said “Hi,” really quickly, pulling off his tie, and hurried back to his room to pack his own things. I had all