I knew that much at least. His job was pretty demanding, and he traveled a lot. Shortly after my mom handed him divorce papers, he was giving a promotion at the restaurant company that he worked for and now traveled all over the US helping new franchises get started up. It was kind of ironic that my mom had left him right before that happened. She had always wanted a better life and as soon as she decided to drop my dad, he was able to provide one.
“No worries, Grams. I’m sure we’ll catch up eventually.” I crossed my fingers hoping that was the truth, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
“Okay, Della. Well, I’ll let you get all settled in and then if you would like, you can come down and help me fix some supper.” I answered with a nod, and she quietly shut the door. I dropped down to the floor to start unloading one of my bags that I figured I would need for the week. I still hadn’t warmed up to the whole idea of living in the dorms. I hated to say it, but my mom was right when she said I was pampered.
It was hard to believe that my life was all packed away in five suitcases, granted it was all pretty much clothes, so I guess it did end up being a lot. I’m not sure if my style would really fit in down here. Fashion was pretty much everything back home. The tag on a shirt pretty much guaranteed you a spot in society.
I slid tank tops and dresses onto empty hangers in the small closet that was in the connected bathroom. There was only room for about half of my stuff, so I had no clue what I was going to do about that dilemma. I was sure the dorms would be even worse. I texted my mom before I headed down stairs, figuring she would at least want to know I got here safely.
“Hey Grams, what can I do to help?” I entered the kitchen, inhaling deeply the scents wafting through the air. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal, my mom certainly never stepped one of her stiletto heels into the kitchen.
Grams wiped her flour covered hands on her apron that was cinched at the waist and handed me an armful of vegetables. “You can chop these all up. I’m making chicken and dumplings for supper. I know that used to be your favorite. And I even have a rhubarb pie for dessert,” she added with a wink before going back to work on the dumpling dough.
“That sounds fabulous. I’ll have to watch what I eat though, or I’ll be gaining ten pounds in the week that I’m here.”
“Oh honey, no need to worry about that. As long as you stay active, you can keep it all off and enjoy some home cooking. It would do you some good to have some meat on those bones anyway.” Oh Grams if you only knew.
We worked together like we had never been apart. I had always loved helping Grams in the kitchen, it was her domain, and I liked to think it had rubbed off on me a bit. After setting the table, the three of us sat down together, and I savored every last bite. Grandpa was silent the whole time until his pie was completely cleared off his plate.
“Now Adelaide,” he said, clearing his throat and swiping at his mouth with a napkin. “We need to set some ground rules around here. I know you are an adult now, but you need to prove to us that you can act like one.” I groaned internally but kept a smile on my face. I knew this would be coming, and I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for it.
I just had to keep reminding myself that this would only be for a couple of months and then eventually I would be able to prove myself. I was hell-bent on getting my credit cards and car back. I wasn’t quite sure how I would live without them.
“You’re going to need to earn our trust first of all. The things your father has told us, well, are simply unacceptable. Grandma all ready has all of the information for your enrollment. Apparently, that stepfather of yours was able to pull some strings and get you in at the last minute. You just need to go to the registration office on Monday. We expect you to check in every day to let us know how your classes are going and so we can make sure that you are keeping up with your studies. I picked up a bus schedule for you while I was in town, so that should be helpful.”
Whoa, hold up. The bus? That word alone made me break out in hives. I was seriously going to have to ride on a bus? Didn’t they know how germ-infested those things were? The look of horror that passed over my face must not have fazed Grandpa because he continued on.
“You will also help your grandmother around the house with chores on the weekends in between studying. Now, I understand you’re still young and you’re going to want to do things with friends, that’s understandable, but we need to know what you’re doing and who you’re doing them with at all times.”
Yeah, right. I figured I could behave myself for the most part, but there was no way in hell my grandparents would be knowing my whereabouts every single minute of the day. I let out a deep breath. “Okay, I don’t think I’ll have any problems following those rules.” Hopefully. Sometimes I just needed an escape, but I’m sure if I explained that to Grandpa, he wouldn’t find my explanation acceptable.
“And one last thing,” he added, wagging a finger at me. “You will be attending church with us every Sunday.”