Chapter Text
She sees! Hallelujah!
"Well, if I do say so myself, sugah, I taught you well didn't I?" Gradmamma Ruby asked, without even a hint of humility. "That was some fine fried chicken you made us for dinner."
Zoe turned from the sink where she was finishing up the dinner dishes. "Indeed you did, you old bat," she replied lovingly.
Smiling sadly at her grandmother, she sat at the kitchen table, "We're leaving tomorrow."
"It'll be alright, dahlin'. I'll be fine," the old woman assured with confidence. Grandmamma Ruby poured herself a cup of coffee then joined Zoe at the table. She placed her hand over her granddaughter's, gave it a gentle squeeze and with a compassionate smile added, "Don't you worry about me, I'll manage this monstrosity on my own."
"I'm sorry I dis . . ," Zoe started, but was interrupted by another squeeze to her hand.
"Zoe Heloise Morgan, don't you dare say that word. You have never been or ever will be a disappointment to me. Why would you ever think that?"
"Because of what you want me to do with this house once you're gone."
"Oh Zoe girl, you were always the hardest on yourself. Thinking you had to make everyone happy. You hide that well you know, from everyone but me. You take everything too damn seriously. I have always wanted what was best for you, dear. If that means you're never going to have children or get married, well so be it. Am I disappointed? Of course not. Like I said, you could never disappoint me."
"Oh, Grandmamma, you're good for my ego. . . " Zoe said, glad that her grandmother was finally seeing her point of view.
"When you first arrived a few days ago, I would certainly have agreed that you deciding to not have children would have disappointed me. I didn't want my grandbaby to end up alone and in the last few years, I was honestly concerned because I didn't see that spark, that fire in you. But since then, I've changed my view."
Giving her grandmother a curious look, Zoe asked, "What changed?"
"Why seeing you with John, of course."
"Go on . . ." Zoe encouraged her grandmother to continue, almost in shock that this crazy old bat who was set in her ways was starting to see what Zoe and John had realized just a few short months ago.
Ruby sighed, "I always thought that if you just got married, had a brat or two that that fire would come back. It would give you something to fight for, something to look forward to. But I see now that it is John that brought that fire back. You and John have passion. A passion for each other and a passion for whatever your life is with him. It may be unconventional and you may not display it blatantly, but I see it. I see it in every glance you exchange, every touch, and every thought. I'm not worried about you anymore; that fire is back with a vengeance."
"Well hallelujah Grandmamma, you can finally see!" Zoe exclaimed, raising her arms in supplication.
"Don't you think I can't still take you over my knee, smart-ass," Grandmamma Ruby threatened and added, "I helped bring you into this world; I can sure as hell take you out."
John stepped out onto the deck to find Zoe sitting on the porch swing, propelling it gently to and fro with one foot as she stared off into space. It was late; Debbie and Miss Ruby had retired for the evening. He smiled, taking a moment to drink in all that was right with his world before approaching the swing. Little did he know how it could change in an instant.
"Any room for me?" he asked softly.
Zoe nodded, motioning for him sit down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.
John turned his head to press a kiss to Zoe's temple then uttered into her hair, "What's going on in that brain of yours ..."
"Nothing . . ." she remarked. "Everything . . . ."
He chuffed then stated, "Well that clears it up."
"Just thinking about what my grandmother said," she responded.
"Well... you know... she's said quite a few things... mind narrowing it down for me?"
Zoe straightened in her seat, met John's eyes and stated, "What she said about filling this house with children."
Blinking away from the intensity of her gaze he asked, "You want kids?"
"No, of course not," she said. Then added, "Yes . . . hell, I don't know."
"Okay, glad we have that all cleared up," John retorted. Although he often dreamed of having children one day, he had always believed that it was just that, a dream; nothing that he should or could hope for. He knew Zoe felt the same way, yet there was a part of her that obviously considered it at some point.
"It would be insane right?" she asked. "Bringing a child into our world, that would just be sheer lunacy, don't you agree?" Zoe's question clearly begged for the affirmative, yet her eyes said something else.
"Yes, Zoe, given our current lifestyles and profession, it wouldn't be fair to bring a child into this chaos . . ." John started.
"But? I hear a but coming." Zoe said eyeing John.
John nodded, "But, it's not to say that eventually . . . "
Zoe nodded, "Yeah, eventually . . . "
Her gaze wandered toward Buster who was rooting around in the corner of the back yard with something red in his mouth. "What the hell?" Zoe asked straining harder to see what he was doing. Realizing what it was, she burst out laughing. "That little bugger, that's where all my underwear went."
The End