She had round little cheeks.
Soft skin.
Tiny fingers curled against her blanket.
I stared at her in amazement.
“Hello, Rose,” I whispered. “I’m your grandma.”
Her eyes opened.
She looked directly at me.
Marianne laughed.
“I think she’s trying to figure out who you are.”
“Well,” I whispered, “she can take all the time she needs. I’ve been waiting months for this moment.”
Rose stretched one tiny hand.
Her fingers curled gently around mine.
My eyes filled with tears.
Steven should have been here.
He would have adored
this little girl.
Before he died, he’d often talked about becoming a grandfather.
He once announced that he intended to teach our future grandchildren how to bake lemon cakes.
I reminded him that babies couldn’t eat cake.
“Then I’ll spend the first few years perfecting my recipe,” he’d replied.
That memory made my throat tighten.
Marianne touched my shoulder.
“I wish Dad could see her.”
I nodded.
“Me too, sweetheart.”
We found a bench nearby.
I settled down with Rose resting against my chest.
Marianne sat beside me.
After a moment, she looked concerned.
“Mom, is your hip still hurting?”
“A little. But sitting down helps.”
“Would you like me to hold Rose for a while?”
I looked at her in mock horror.
“Absolutely not!”
Marianne burst into laughter.
I kissed my granddaughter’s forehead.
“I didn’t travel all this way just to hand her back after five minutes.”
My daughter
smiled.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
I looked down at Rose.
“So am I.”
For hours, I’d been trapped beside a stranger who believed his comfort mattered more than mine.
I’d allowed myself to be pushed against a window because I was afraid of making someone unhappy.
But now I was sitting beside my daughter, holding the newest member of our family.
No one was demanding that I move.
No one was taking up space that belonged to me.
No one was making me feel unreasonable for wanting to be comfortable.
Marianne glanced at the clock.
“Ready to head home?”
I looked at Rose sleeping peacefully in my arms.
“Could we sit here just a little longer?”
Marianne smiled.
“Of course, Mom. We’ve got the whole afternoon.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder.
And I held my granddaughter close.
For the first time in a long while, I felt
