Awaited Reunion

The creaking of the old, narrow, oak staircase was something that she missed from her years away from home. The farmhouse, old, white colonial style, was exactly how she had remembered from nearly twenty grueling years ago. Trees, weeds, and vegetation, in general, were closer to reclaiming the house now. The weeds slowly creeped up the sides of the colonial, eating their way into the siding, happily foraging through life. The ancient white paint was beginning to come off in flakes, cracking and tearing. Still though, it was nearly identical to what it was.

She looked up, startled, from the table as a single, booted, foot snuck its way into the room. Grandpa watched her, quietly, his old wrinkled face contorted into a loving smile. Naturally, he was ecstatic to have his estranged granddaughter back in the family home. The man, in his early seventies, was a reminder of hard lives lived in the past. He was an obvious working man, as his grizzled features were all dark, burned, and tanned from the sun and his many hours in the hot sun.

Her eyes slowly followed his movements, remembering how he was when she was young. Grandpa was always a large, strong man, but now, in this moment, he seemed small, almost diminutive. Older than he was in her memory, Grandpa was now much frailer, not the ox he previously was viewed as. The eyes followed as the man crept into the kitchen, slowly and disciplined. The ancient, mud-stained boots marched their way into the next room, leaving her line of sight.

The mossy-green eyes focused back on the cracked window sill and the panes beyond it. Water was coming down in sheets, drowning out most sounds within the house, except the tell-tale noises of the house settling into its old age. She didn’t mind the rain, however storms were another case. Lightning worried her, ever since the vacation she took with her mother, when a nearby tree was struck by the fiery, electric bolts, and was felled directly in front of their car. Her sigh felt like it shook the ancient structure, radiating the anxiety from deep inside her mind. The hands that the young woman possessed gripped harder at the table as a distant thundering roar came from outside. She swore she could tell when it was coming.

Suddenly, through her clenched, tightened body, she relaxed, a smell seeping its way into her olfactory senses. A warm, soothing scent that she knew well from her childhood, but the exact identity of it was a mystery at this moment. Her shoulders, last of all, released their tension, showing her relaxation, as she slumped into the chair and sank. The relief, evident on her face as her mind wandered into the fond memories of spending her summers at the family farm, enjoying quality time with the grandparents that loved her and her mother more than anything.

Hazy green grass brushed her ankles as her ten-year-old self ran, barefoot, to climb into her favorite rubber tire swing. She plopped her body, stomach down, onto the rickety fun center. Grandma, bright and radiant, pulled back the worn rope and let go, sending the child flying through the air, screaming in joy. The warmth sifted through her body as she remembered how caring Grandma was of her. Patient, protective, and producing for her only grandchild. She always knew that the months would fly by extremely fast until her baby would leave her nest, once again. This time, however, neither knew it would be the final tender moment they would share.

Sweet, wonderful scents brought her back to reality once again, a tender tear rolling down her face as her eyes scanned the familiar dining room. A rough, loving paw wiped away the tear from her cheek, gently calming her nerves and sadness. She didn’t even look up, still reminiscing on her summers with Grandma, when life was simple, beautiful, and perfectly sincere. All before a drunk driver swiped every hope and dream of the sweet reunion after so many years. The tears weren’t specifically for the untimely passing of Grandma, but more for the fact that it took her passing to drive the young woman home. Quietly she drove her fist down onto the table, silently cursing herself for not removing life’s problems and making time to return once more.

The large, wrinkled hand moved from her cheek to her shoulder, squeezing lovingly. Finally, she turned, looking up at the grizzled, dark face. Grandpa’s bright blue eyes were seeping his sadness as he continued his warm, comforting smile. He bent, silently, before kissing her forehead, trying to assure her that everything was all just fine. The other, shaky, old hand slowly reached around, holding a delicious-looking dish and placing it loudly onto the table.The saucer clanged onto the old oak table, radiating a sweet, perfect aroma.

Green, tear-ridden eyes gazed at the dessert sitting on the table and the young woman smiled as she finally realized why the odor was so familiar. Grandma’s own secret, original recipe for the most delicious chocolate cake. The old woman had finally revealed the secret to her cake to her husband, right before she finally lost her fight in the hospital. The young woman’s memories and sweet, beautiful visions flooded back to her as she stared at the oozing chocolate. She turned to look up at her grandfather’s face, seeing he had the same expression. The heartwarming moment seemed to last forever, as their long overdue reunion was finally in full fruition.

Her arms involuntarily locked around her grandfather, fully encompassing his frail body. Almost immediately, the old man returned her tight embrace. His eyes began to swell with the tears that he was unable to hold back in the beautiful, long-awaited moment. The tight embrace filled each of them with the most complete warmth that they’d experienced in a very long time. The man held his granddaughter close and quietly whispered, “She loves you so much…”