Secrets over Sweet Tea Read Online Free PDF Page B

to sleep, though he’d been beside her when her alarm clock rang. That wasn’t always the case. Some nights Tyler would watch the sun fall and rise before he ever let his head touch apillow, and she’d have to leave for work before he made it home. You would think she’d be used to his schedule by now, but every day it bothered her. Even if their relationship had been wonderful—which it wasn’t—being married to someone you hardly ever saw could take its toll.
    When she pulled crumpled newspaper from a moving box, the red corner of a small box that rested inside grabbed her attention, tugging her heart to places she always dreaded going. The Santa plate and mug designed for Christmas Eve and children’s magic were nothing but reminders of what her home lacked. There had never been children’s magic at Christmas for her. She had never watched her child climb the large rubber-matted steps of a bright-yellow school bus going to a world of learning and laughter as she stood in her robe with a steaming cup of hot tea. She’d never wiped her child’s tears after a lost game, a broken arm, or a broken heart. She’d never hung Sunday school artwork on the refrigerator or kept a “mommy’s calendar.” But with every move, she still packed up the plate and mug as if one day her own Christmas magic would happen and she would have a child of her own.
    She swiped hard at the tears, tucked the red box in the farthest corner of the china cabinet, and said a brief prayer. “Please, God, let this be the house that holds the laughter of a child.”
    Her phone vibrated on the countertop. She picked it up and saw her mother’s picture staring back at her. “Hey, Mom.” She carried the phone over to the large picture window that overlooked Franklin’s quaint Second Avenue.
    “Hey. How’s the moving going?”
    Grace let out a soft laugh. “Like all the rest.”
    “Anyone coming to help you?”
    “After the fourth move, I quit asking people, Mom. I decided I wanted to keep my friends.”
    She could hear the concern in her mother’s voice. “You need me and Dad to come?”
    “No, I’m good. I’ll have most of it done by the end of the week. And then we’ll be back to normal.”
    “You okay, baby?”
    Grace shook at her urge to cry. Her mother had heard enough of her pain through the years. Now, she tried to let her see as little as possible. She didn’t want her to hurt too. “Yeah, all good. It really is a beautiful home, and I’ve always wanted to live in downtown Franklin. Tyler is convinced it’s a good investment.”
    “Have y’all decided where you’re going to church yet?”
    “No, hopefully we’ll visit a few here once we get settled.”
    “You couldn’t get Tyler to stay where you were?”
    “No. He just isn’t getting what he needs there, Mom. Not all churches are for everyone, you know.”
    She heard the deep sigh in her mother’s voice and hoped a sermon wasn’t next. She was too bone weary for that. She was grateful her mother could tell. “You’re taking the week off from work, right?”
    “No, I’m working.”
    “Grace, you can’t move and work at the same time.”
    “Mom, it’s fine. It will get done when it gets done.”
    “Well, please take care of yourself. When is the last time you baked something?”
    A distant memory of a chocolate cake came to mind, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember when she had baked it. With the packing, work, and now the move, the last monthhad just gotten away from her. “I can’t even remember. Can you believe that?”
    “Honey, promise Mom that you will do something for you. I’m sending you some money that is for you to go spend. Not on the house. On you.”
    Grace couldn’t help but laugh. She had money of her own. But her mother had been sending twenty-dollar bills in cards since she was in college. She could tell her not to, but it would do no good. “I’m fine, Mom. Honestly.”
    “Well, if you need us, please call. You