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As Joseph drove south, he felt more and more that he'd entered a foreign country. When he stopped for gas outside New Orleans, he knew the attendant was speaking English, but he could barely understand what he said.

Half an hour later, he stopped in a little café on the edge of his grandparents neighborhood for dinner. He found he could understand the aging black waitress a little better. Joseph had watched her deliver a ham steak to the table next to him and decided to try it. When she asked what sides he wanted with it he decided to be adventurous and try a baked yam.

"Y'all want grits with this?" she asked.

"I've heard of grits, but I don't know what they are, Ma'am."

"Well, grits is one of them things you really love or you don't," she explained. "We make 'em with lots of fresh butter and a little sage. I'll bring you some, Honey. Just to see if y'all like 'em."

The waitress sauntered back with a small bowl. "These is grits. Taste 'em an' tell me whatcha think of 'em."

Joseph looked at the bowl of white corn meal mush in front of him and hesitantly picked up his spoon.

"Go on. They ain't gonna poison y'all."

Joseph put a spoonful in his mouth not knowing what to expect. He smiled at the waitress as he savored the flavor. "This is really delicious, satisfying."

"Lotta places only put butter on 'em. I think the sage brings out the flavor of da corn. Y'all want a regular size bowl of 'em?"

"With all the other food, I think that this is enough, thank you."

When she brought the platter with the huge slab of pan seared ham and a small plate with what looked like a small deflated football that had been sliced open, exposing its golden orange interior slathered in butter, Joseph grinned and said, "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Y'all want a refill on your Coke?" she asked.

"Yes, please."

She returned with a full glass. When she sat it down, he said, "Thank you."

"Y'all sure is a polite young man. Where're y'all headed?"

"Here. I'm going to try to see my grandparents. They live near here."

"What's their name, Honey? I know lots a people in around here."

"Darcy."

"Darcy," she repeated as she thought. "The only Darcys I know of is a wealthy old lawyer and his wife. But he's blacker than I am and he hates all y'all white folks with a passion. Seems his only son went off up North and married a white woman. Ol' man Darcy disowned him... his only son," she said staring up at the ceiling.

Joseph blushed. She noticed. "Oh my God, Honey. You're old man Darcy's grandson aren't you?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I am."

"Well, may God help you. You being half white, he'll probably curse you something terrible. You'd be best off getting to know your grandmother first, if you can. I've never heard anything about her feeling the same as her husband. She's a decent, sweet old lady."

Joseph smiled, noting that she'd lost most of her Louisiana twang and was speaking proper English, no longer putting on 'the show' for the Northern 'white' boy. Still, she had a strong Southern accent

Joseph ate the entire yam and about half the ham steak. The waitress came over to see how he was doing. "You liked that yam, didn't you?" she said, grinning at him.

"Yes, Ma'am. It was one of the most delicious things I ever tasted."

"Don't they have yams up North?"

"They might. My Italian mother is first generation American. I know everything about Italian food."

"Well, you are in for some special adventures. New Orleans cooking is world renowned. You come back tomorrow night and I'll have a special treat for you. By the way, I am Josellyn (Jos alin) and this little joint is my baby. My man Henry is the cook, and he's one of the best chefs in the city."

"It's nice to meet you, Ma'am. I'm Joseph."

"Yes, ol' Larry's grandson. It's nice to meet you, Joseph. You will come back tomorrow for dinner won't you?"

"You know I will, Ma'am."

"Okay, that's enough ma'aming me. Just call me Josellyn. Now, let me make you a sandwich out of the rest of that ham. I know young men always get hungry in between meals."

She whisked up the platter and headed for the kitchen. When she returned a couple of minutes later she asked, "Now, where are you staying?"

"A hotel I guess. I passed a Best Western on the freeway not too far from here."

"Nonsense. There is a little motel right up the street owned by my good friends. How long are you staying?"

Joseph shrugged. "I don't know. I have no idea how things will go with my grandparents."

"Well, however long, I'll make sure you get taken care of properly and it will cost a lot less than that impersonal BW."

Joseph left the Café feeling good. He drove up the street to the little motel. They were little individual cottages around a courtyard. It was neat and clean looking. Joseph took an immediate liking to the place.

He was greeted by a couple with big welcoming smiles.

"Ah, you must be Joseph. Josellyn said to watch for a very handsome young man. And you fill the bill," the woman said. Joseph blushed.

"May, you are embarrassing the young man. He's going to just turn tail and run if you keep doing that."

"Oh, nonsense, Bill. I'm only telling it like it is." May turned back to Joseph. "Now we have a special cottage just for you. Josellyn said we're to take very good care of you. So we will. If you'll just fill out this little form, Bill will show you to your cottage."

Joseph still hadn't said a word. He took the proffered pen and printed his name. May read it upside down. "That darned woman. Bill look at this." She snatched the card away from Joseph and held it in her husband's face. "She said there was something special about this young man. He's ol' Larry Darcy's grandson." She looked back at Joseph for verification. "You are, aren't you?"

Joseph nodded.

"You sure are a quiet one. You haven't said a word since you entered that door. Have you ever met your granddad?"

"May, if you would hush a moment, I'm sure the young man will speak," Bill said.

They both turned and looked expectantly at Joseph. He blushed again. "No, Ma'am, I've never met my grandfather. But that's why I'm here."

"He's a bitter ol' coot. Maybe seeing what a fine young man you are will soften him up a bit."

"I'm expecting the worse."

"Get to know your grandmother first. I don't think she's ever agreed with the ol' coot on disowning his son. She never seemed to be a happy woman since, anyway."

"That's what Josellyn said, too."

"Your grandmother is a fine upstanding woman, but she lets Larry just run all over her." Bill injected before May could start her mouth running again.

"Does my grandfather really go by Larry? It's seems incongruous."

Bill grinned. "Only behind his back. We all grew up together, and he was Larry until he came back from Harvard. Since then, he's Lawrence." Bill drew out both syllables.

May was thinking. "Tomorrow is Wednesday," she said. "Mabel Darcy is always at the church Wednesday afternoons, getting it ready for prayer services that evening. Larry never goes to prayer. That would be a good time to meet your grandmother."

The next afternoon at three o'clock Joseph was parked in front of the church. A few minutes later a big black Cadillac pulled into the parking lot on the side of the building. Joseph watched a tall, stately, elderly woman emerge from the car, take several bundles of flowers from the trunk and enter the side door of the church.

With trepidation choking his heart, and his mind filled with doubt, he found his way to the door through which his grandmother had entered. He stepped in and stood just inside the door letting his eyes adjust to the dim lighting.

"May I help you, young man?" he heard her ask.

He stepped forward and hesitated. "Are you Mrs. Darcy?"

She turned towards him with a smile. "Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Joseph." He gulped. "Joseph Darcy. Your grandson."

The elderly woman dropped the bunch of flowers she was removing the cellophane from, raised her hands toward him and staggered. Joseph ran forward, put an arm around her and led her to the front pew and gently sat her down. She sat with her hands in her lap looking up at him with tears streaking down her face. "Dear God, I've prayed for years for this. Come, sit beside me," she said, and took his hand as he sat. She gazed into his beautiful green eyes. "You're as beautiful as your father. Tell me. Do you have brothers and sisters?"

"One little brother and one little sister."

"What are their names?"

"Lexy and Lena."

"Are you called Joe or Joseph."

He laughed. "I'm Joseph. I've got a great grandfather, a grandfather and an uncle that are all Joe. It's confusing enough without me adding to it."

"So, you've grown up with a big family."

"Yes, Ma'am, I have two uncles and one aunt... and three uncles by marriage. Oh, and another aunt who is the sister of one of my uncles... and her husband, so that's four uncles by marriage, I guess."

"My goodness, I don't understand. How you can have so many uncles?"

"Oh, my two uncles are gay and I consider their partners to be my uncles, too. Actually, Uncle Johnny is married to my Uncle Tim."

"My goodness, and does everyone accept your two uncles being this way?"

"Of course, why wouldn't they? Everyone loves them."

"Why wouldn't they indeed. Would that all Christians followed the teaching of Christ like that."

Joseph and his grandmother visited for over an hour before she remembered her church duties. "Oh my, those poor flowers are going to all be wilted. I must finish putting them in vases."

"I'll help you, Grandmother."

The old lady turned and smiled, "I truly thought I'd see my dying day before I ever heard someone call me that."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am."

"For heaven's sake, Joseph, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just so happy you had the gumption to stand up to your dad and come to seek me out."

When they were cleaning up after placing all the vases around the Alter, Joseph asked, "Do you think that Grandfather will be as happy as you were to see me?"

Mabel paused in thought. She shook her head. "No. Sadly he is more hard hearted and full of hate now than he was twenty years ago. I don't know if it's even a good idea to introduce you to him."

"We have to give him a chance, Grandmother. I'm not sure I'm prepared to stand up to his vituperation. But I have to try."

"You are your father's son, Joseph. He said nearly the exact same thing when he brought your mother to meet us. But I'll tell you one thing, my sweet grandson. It's time for me to make my own way. I want to see my grandchildren and my son and his lovely wife. Would you be willing to take me back with you?"

Joseph hugged the old lady, and through happy tears, he said, "I'd be most happy to, Grandmother."

Mabel hugged her grandson and kissed him on his cheek. "Now," she said with a great expulsion of breath, "we must do something about what to call me. Grandmother is such a mouthful. How about Grandy M? I called my grandmother that. Yes, I like the idea of it. Just call me Grandy M."

Joseph grinned and placed both hands on her shoulders. "You are as of now, Grandy M." He kissed her on her forehead, and she beamed at him.

The meeting with his grandfather was worse than anyone had feared. But Joseph stood and took it. When the old man ran out of vile words, Joseph said, through the tears streaking down his face, "I didn't want to believe my parents when they told me about how full of hatred you are. I can't help who my parents are. And I don't understand how you can hate me. I'm truly sorry that you will die a lonely bitter shell of a man." He turned to his grandmother and said, "I'll be back tomorrow morning to take you away from this, Grandy M. Nobody should have to live with such horrible hatred." He kissed her cheek and walked out the door.

The old man followed Joseph to the door screaming vituperation at him. Mabel stood up, walked across the room, grabbed him by his shoulder pulling him around and for the first time in all the years she'd been married, soundly slapped him. "Larry, shut up. For the last twenty years I've tried to continue to love you. For the last twenty years I listened to your hate filled rants. For more time than that, I've put up with your philandering. No more. Not another word do I want to hear from your filthy, hate filled, lying mouth. I am finished with you. I am going to go see my son and his lovely wife and get to know my grandchildren. And you... you can rot in Hell. I suggest you go spend the night with one of your hussies. I damned sure don't want you around bitching and whining while I'm packing."

Larry's shoulder slumped and he slinked out the door. Mabel was amazed that he'd just collapsed, and wondered why she hadn't spoken up a long time ago. She prayed to God to forgive her, for she saw it as a sin of omission. If she'd stood up to her husband years ago, maybe he would have changed. With a hefty sigh, she marched upstairs to start packing.

Larry, Lawrence Joshua D'Arcy (he gave it the French spelling on his business card - it looked more prestigious to him), Attorney at Law, sat behind the wheel of his big black Mercedes staring out at the calm waters of the lake.

He wanted to blame all the years of angry hate on that beautiful white woman that his son had chosen for a wife. But he was being honest with himself, for once in his life, and admitted that his anger went back much farther than that. Rence, as his son had chosen to be called, was only about fifteen at the time. Larry had been defending a white man that had once been lieutenant governor of Louisiana on a murder charge.

That was when he'd met his down fall; the man's wife. She had seduced him and the two had carried on an affair until the day that her husband had been declared guilty of the charge. She'd dropped him like a hot coal and refused to even acknowledge his existence after that. It had rankled him, he'd become bitter, and he'd hated white people ever since. Angelina Michelle Paolini had reminded him so much of 'that' woman, with her beautiful long black tresses, her big soulful brown eyes and her tremulous smiling red lips.

All he could see when he looked at Miki, as his son had called her, was that white woman that had used him and then tossed him aside. His heart had swelled with hateful venom which he'd spewed out at his only son, and he had cast the two of them out of his life. Guilt had filled him until he hated everything about life. The only good thing had been his wife, Mabel. The ever-loving and forgiving 'Stable Mabel', his anchor to sanity.

Now, she too had turned on him when that little miscreant, spawned by his son and that white woman he'd married, had shown up on his doorstep wanting recognition. He had to admit that the boy was handsome. It gave him a momentary bit of pride that his blood ran in the boy's veins. But he couldn't overcome the hatred, nor the anger.

Mabel had slapped him. She'd never even raised her voice at him before, much less her hand. He'd never deluded himself that she didn't know about his dalliances. But he'd always gone back to her, his one source of stability. Now she was abandoning him and there was no reason to continue his miserable life.

He lifted the cover on the armrest storage and took the little pistol he kept there. He studied it a moment, cradling it in both hands, then he got out of the car and walked down to the water's edge. He gazed out over the lake, then lifted the little gun to his lips. He kissed the end of the muzzle and opened his mouth.

Three hours later as Mabel closed the last suitcase, the doorbell rang. There was a uniformed policeman at the door.

"Are you Mabel Darcy?" he asked, after formalities.

"Yes, Officer.

"The Honorable Lawrence Darcy was your husband?"

"Just a minute, Officer, what do you mean was?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'm no good at this. I hate to have to tell you this, but Mr. Darcy was found out by the lake. He'd put a bullet through the roof of his mouth."

Mabel collapsed onto the straight chair that stood by the door. "Dear God, have mercy on his soul."

"Ma'am, at your convenience we need you to identify his body. It's a required formality before it can be released to a mortuary."

Mabel stood up and mentally shook herself. "I will do that as soon as I can get my grandson to take me."

"Thank you, Ma'am." The officer left her standing in the door wondering what she should do first. She wanted to just grab her bags and flee, leaving the ol' coot to be buried in a paupers grave. But as upstanding members of the community, she knew she had to play the scene to its finality.

First, she called her pastor, and then she called Joseph. "I know it's much to ask, my dear boy, but I need family support through this and you are the only family I have now."

"Grandy M, I'll be there in a few minutes." He packed up his things and went to check out. He ended up telling May and Bill about the horrid meeting with his grandfather. They were shocked to hear that ol' Larry had killed himself and were so sympathetic to Joseph they didn't want to take his money, but he insisted in paying them and they grudgingly accepted.

Rence blankly stared at the wall in front of him after he dropped the phone into its cradle. Miki was asking who the call was from before she got to the door. When she saw the anguished look on her husband's face, she rushed to him. "What is it, Rence?" When he didn't answer, she jumped to a conclusion. "It's Joseph. Is he hurt?"

Rence shook his head. "Joseph is fine. That was him on the phone."

"So what has you so distraught?"

"My father. He shot himself after Joseph confronted him."

"Oh, thank God he didn't shoot Joseph."

"No, he's okay. He's with Mom. She's okay, too."

Miki immediately forgot all the years of being shunned. "Rence we must go to her. She needs you. I'll start packing. You call and make flight reservations."

"Mik."

She stopped and turned to see what he wanted. "Mom asked if we'd bring her other two grandchildren with us."

A little smiled appeared on her face. "Yes, of course we will."

Joseph, filled with guilt, feeling responsible for his grandfather's suicide, rushed back to his grandparent's house. When Mabel opened her door to him, he immediately started begging her forgiveness. "I'd never have come down here if I'd known that he was going to do something like this."

"Joseph, my dear sweet boy, you had nothing to do with what he did. He'd been building for a fall for years and years. May God forgive me for not putting a stop to it years ago."

She sat on the little settee in her formal living room with her grandson's head held against her bosom.

I suppose God got tired of waiting for me to act, and that's why he sent you. His hateful nasty words to you finally made me see the light, and how I'd let Larry get away with all the bad things he did."

She heaved a big sigh. "I guess killing himself was the only way to not face his disgrace. Silly old man."

After a while she raised Joseph's head and kissed his cheek. "My guess is that you are getting hungry. I don't feel like cooking. Let's go out to eat."

"Oh, I forgot. I was invited to return for dinner tonight."

"You've barely been here a day and you're already invited out to dinner?"

"Not like that, Grandy. You know a little café called Josellyn's?"

"Yes, I've known Joselyn for years."

"I had dinner there last night and she promised to fix something special for me tonight if I returned."

"Well, that's where we will go then. I haven't had any of Henry's cooking in a long time."

Joselyn was full of consolations when Joseph and Mabel entered her restaurant. Henry came out of the kitchen to offer his condolences.

"Thank you both. But we really need to say it like it really is. All anyone will miss is the hatred he spewed. He may have been my husband, and I'll greatly miss him. But no one will miss his nasty mouth."

"If there's anything we can do for you, Mabel, just let us know," Henry said, before heading back into the kitchen.

Joselyn seated them, then said, "I promised your grandson a meal he won't forget. So if you will just let me do your ordering..."

"By all means, Joselyn, we are in your hands," Mabel injected.

Joseph smiled and nodded his agreement.

Joselyn brought out the first dish in two flat soup plates. "This is Crayfish Bisque," she told Joseph.

Joseph looked at the slightly thicken broth with the stuffed and fried crayfish heads floating in it. He'd seen whole raw shrimp but these appeared to be a bit larger.

He lifted one with his spoon and shuddered at the thought of putting the thing in his mouth. His grandmother watched him with an amused smile.

"Many folks like the crunch and eat the whole head. Take the antennae in your fingers and with your fork dig out the stuffing. I promise you'll like it."

Joseph looked askance.

"You like shrimp don't you?"

"Yes, but I've never heard of eating stuffed shrimp heads."

"Taste it. If you don't like it, I'm sure Josellyn won't be offended."

Joseph lifted a bit of the thickened broth to his lips, then smiled as he savored it. He spooned up one of the heads and grasped it as Mabel had shown him. With the point of his teaspoon he dug out the stuffing, which he examined and determined it to be chopped crayfish and breadcrumbs. "Mmmm, this is delicious." He laid the emptied head on the edge of the soup plate and fished out another one. Soon his plate was empty and he smiled at his grandmother.

Joselyn grinned at Joseph as she picked up his empty soup plate. "That was a simple introduction to our fine Southern Cuisine."

A moment later she hustled out carrying two serving bowls. "This is a Creole classic here in Louisiana; Jambalaya. Henry's is the best I've ever tasted. In other parts of the South it's made only with chicken or shrimp. Henry makes it with both chicken and shrimp and then goes a couple of steps further. He adds crab and a bit of lobster. We serve with Pollo Rice. It's really a South Carolina specialty but it's really good with Henry's Jambalaya."

As she talked, she placed some of the rice, cooked with chicken, in the center of each plate and then covered it with the rich stew. She stood back and watched Joseph taste it. His eyebrows went up and he broke into a smile. "Wow, this is delicious," he exclaimed, and dug into the dish.

After he'd eaten his fill and their plates had been removed, Josellyn said, "For desert you may have your choice of Pecan pie, Yam pie or triple chocolate devil's food cake."

Joseph waited for Mabel, who chose to have a piece of the chocolate cake.

Joselyn looked at Joseph, who said, "I've never had any of those. I really liked that yam yesterday. Maybe I'll try that pie."

"I'll tell you what. Let me bring you a small piece of each and then you can decide if you want more of something."

After Joseph had slowly savored each of the three deserts, Joselyn asked, "So, which one did you like the best?"

Joseph grinned at her and said, "All of them."

Stuffed, Joseph accompanied his grandmother back to her home. She showed him upstairs to a room that she unlocked. "This was your father's bedroom," she explained. "I've never let anyone in here before. This can be your room until we leave."

Joseph expected to enter a closed musty smelling room but was surprised that it looked like his dad had just stepped out of it. Everything was clean and dusted. The bed looked freshly made; the pillow plumped. There was an opened book lying on the desk.

"I've kept it clean and ready. I've daily prayed that things would change and that my son would one day again have use of this room. I guess God has answered my prayers in his own way."

Joseph stood aside and watched the tender tear-filled reunion between his grandmother and his father. He couldn't help but grin at the delighted reaction of Lex and Lena meeting their Grandy M. When Mabel turned to Miki, she looked her straight in the eyes and said, "You'll never know how remorseful I am that I didn't stand up to the ol' bastard the day that my son brought you home to meet us. There's not been a single day that I haven't regretted bowing to his horrible hatred. You are a beautiful woman and I thank you for loving my son and giving him three such beautiful children." She placed her hands on each side of Miki's face and kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Please, forgive me."

Miki, in turn, kissed Mable's cheek. "There's nothing to forgive... I'm just thankful that my children will now have their paternal grandmother in their lives."

"You are a generous woman, Michelle Darcy. Thank you."

The mortician had done a beautiful job of hiding the fact that the back of Larry's head was gone. He lay peacefully sleeping in the white silk lined coffin. Mabel looked down at him and whispered to him, "You old fool. You know I loved you." She turned away to be followed by her son and his family. 'This is the only memory my two youngest grandchildren will have of their grandfather and I suppose that's probably for the best,' she thought to herself as she watched each of them stop and gaze into the casket.

The little church had been filled to overflowing. Of course, there were the few curious, and a few old cronies of her husband. But the vast majority was there to show their love and sympathy for her. Mabel was well loved in her community, even if she had been married to that bitter angry old man. Mabel and her family sat and waited for the whole congregation to file by the casket before they stood and followed the aldermen carrying it out to the hearse.

Two weeks later, the Darcy family was back in UniCity. Grandy M had put her house on market. Her household had been shipped north. She sold her Cadillac. And asked her son to drive the Mercedes and told him that she was going to ride back with Joseph. Lex and Lena insisted on going with their Grandy, leaving Rence and Miki to follow.

One evening about a month after Max had arrived in L.A., he and Claire had just finished cleaning up after dinner when she put the tea kettle on to heat. "Sit and have a cup of tea with me, Max."

Max knew by her intonation that this was not a request, but still he treated it as one. "I'd love to have a cup with you. What is the occasion?" he asked, as he sat back down.

She didn't answer as she set the cups, saucers and spoons on the table. Max watched as she measured her special mixture into the teapot and then added the boiling water. She sat down and smiled at him. "No special occasion, my dear, I just feel that the time is ripe for you to tell me why you are settling into a rut and not doing anything about your problem."

Max stared wide-eyed at her and then dropped his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Max," she chided, "I'm an old expert at B.S.ing. Don't..." She shook her head.

Max looked out the dark window for a moment and then with a grimace of mental pain, he said, "Alright, I've known since the first day, I should tell you."

For the next hour he talked about Joseph and then he told her what he had walked in on that fateful day. She quietly sipped her tea and nodded occasionally. At one point when Max verged on being emotionally overwrought, she motioned to his cup, and he paused to drink its cooled contents and calmed down. She refilled his cup and Max continued talking. He then told her about the party and what he'd ended up doing. He saw no condemnation in her expression as he watched her for a reaction. She simply nodded once again.

Max finished his story and stared at his teacup as he ran his finger around and around the rim waiting for Claire to tell him to forgive Joseph, like everyone else in his life had. But Claire simply sat with her hands in her lap and studied him. When Claire didn't say anything, Max looked up at her.

"If you're waiting for me tell you what to do, Max, I'm not going to. You are an adult. You must do what you think is right."

Max studied her kind gentle face for a moment, nodded and stood. "Thanks, Claire."

She watched him walk to the door, then said, "Good night, Max."

He nodded, opened the door and stepped out into the night. From where she sat, she watched him, with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, trudge up the stairs and into his apartment. She sighed and picked up the tea things, rinsed them and set them in the drain rack to dry.

Max didn't turn on a light when he entered the apartment. The light through the big front window was enough to see his way over to it. He stared out into the night. Eventually, he sighed and said aloud, "Max, what you've got to do is grow up. Joe is right. I'm a sixteen year old kid in a twenty two year old body; Joze is more mature than I am."

Joseph ended up spending most of his summer at home after all. He spent part of each day with Grandy M. He delighted in her decision to take a small unit in the Tower. There had been two available for sell when she started looking, one on the twenty first floor and one on the third. When everyone started urging her to take the higher one she balked. "Goodness no," she'd said. "If the dear Lord wanted me up that high he'd have given me wings and made me fearless of heights. No, three floors up is high enough for me. Besides, all that extra money I save, I can spend on my grandchildren."

After she moved in, Joseph convinced her to accompany him to the Eyrie and enjoy the garden on the roof. Since Dave had been with Joe, he'd added a rose garden, all in big huge pots. Mabel was soon so involved in admiring the beautiful blooms that she forgot all about the height. Dave invited her to feel free to come up anytime and enjoy the garden. "After all," he said to her, "you're part of this big family now."

Dave's mother, Jean, lived two floors below the Eyrie. She and Angie, Miki's mother, instantly accepted Mabel into the clan, making her feel like she'd always belonged. Mabel was constantly amazed at the acceptance she felt. Although she had never felt the prejudice and hatred that her husband had ranted against, she had always felt like she was not part of the community that wasn't black. In UniCity, though, she was accepted and warmly greeted wherever she went.

One day when left to herself, she decided to have lunch in a little Italian restaurant she'd seen down the street from the bookstore. The greeting she received as she stepped through the door surprised her. The chef rushed from the kitchen to first engulf her hands in his as he warmly welcomed her and then standing on tiptoes he kissed each of her cheeks.

"Mrs. Darcy, welcome to my restaurant. I apologize for not joining the rest of the family in welcoming you when you arrived. Our restaurants don't let me get away freely."

"Well, thank you, Sir. Just how are you connected to the family?"

"Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Gio Paolini, your daughter in law's cousin. This is my restaurant, but I am not the regular chef. We're just giving him a day off. We like to get back to our roots once in a while."

Gio quickly seated her and asked if she wanted to order from the menu or could he fix her one of his extra special meals. "How could I turn down such an offer," she replied.

The waiter was busy seating an influx of other lunchers. Mabel was wishing she had asked for a glass of wine when a very handsome auburn haired man, also in a chef's uniform, set a glass of excellent imported Chianti wine in front of her. He bowed to her and asked, "Would you like a basket of rustic bread to nibble while you wait, Mrs. Darcy? I baked it fresh this morning. My partner is furiously cooking up one of his specialties for you, so it will be a few more minutes."

"Thank you, young man. So you are partners with Gio in this little restaurant?"

"Oh, no, Ma'am. Joe Paolini is his partner...in this restaurant. I am simply his life partner, although, I am partners with the two of them in their other three restaurants. I'm Ted Edwards."

Mabel took a sip of the wine while she tried to figure out what Teddy had just said. She gave up, mentally shrugged, and said, "This is delicious. I didn't know a Chianti could be so smooth and still be full bodied."

"Thank you, Ma'am, we import it ourselves."

"Please. Stop it with the ma'ams. Call me Grandy M. It seems everybody else has taken up my grandson's name for me.

"Thank you, Grandy M, and please call me Teddy."

At that moment Angie, Mary and Jean entered.

"Here you are, Mabel. We called to see if you would join us for lunch, but you were out. Hi, Teddy dear." Angie pulled him down to kiss his cheek, and turned back to Mabel.

"I'd be delighted to join you, Ladies. Or would you rather join me?" Mabel said, spreading her arms to indicate the table with three empty chairs.

They all laughed and were soon seated around Mabel's table. Ted returned to the kitchen to assist Gio in getting three more special meals out.

Conversation between the four ladies flowed from one subject to another and soon lighted on the sad situation between Joseph and Max. It was Jean who turned the conversation in that direction when she asked her daughter if she had heard from Max, and if he had forgiven Joseph.

"Who is this mysterious Max that no one wants to talk about?" Mabel asked.

"He's my second son," Mary said. "He's in California starting medical school at UCLA."

"What in the world has my grandson done to need his forgiveness?" Mabel asked.

The table hushed. They all looked at each other, obviously embarrassed. Finally, Angie answered. "Mabel, I take it our grandson hasn't confided in you."

"About what?"

"I hate outing my own grandson, Mabel," Angie said, "but our Joseph and Max have been a pair since Joseph was eleven."

"What do you mean by 'a pair'?"

"The boys are both gay and were together for a little over six years."

Mabel looked astonished and turned to Mary and asked, "And you're accepting of this?"

"I love my son, how could I be anything else?"

Mabel turned to Angie. "And Miki and Rence? They're okay with Joseph choosing to be gay?"

Angie sighed. "Mabel, being a homosexual is no more a choice than being an Anglo or a Black. It's the way a person is born. Both of my sons are gay. I went through all the agonies of wanting them to be straight. I thought my younger son would never accept himself. He tried for years being straight. He must have dated over a hundred women before he met his mate. Even then, he refused to accept that he was so strongly attracted to Tim. It was heartbreaking, watching him be so miserable and not being able to do a thing about it. Joseph was so lucky. He and Rence have always been able to talk about anything. Rence helped him accept himself at a very early age. Max had a little more difficulty. He was so sure his dad would reject him that he ran away from home. Fortunately, he ran to Dave. Dave helped him accept himself. Lloyd convinced Max that he would always love him no matter what. So to answer your question, yes, we are okay with it."

Mabel sat quietly absorbing what she'd just been told. She turned to Mary, "Dave is your brother," and to Jean, "and your son." They both nodded. "And he and Joe, your son," she turned to Angie, "are lovers?" They all nodded. "And those other two handsome men, Johnny and Tim, are too?" Angie nodded. "I see. Joseph had told me this when I first met him when he came down to New Orleans. I guess I didn't want to accept it and just kind of blocked it out. My, my. Four big masculine handsome men. Who would have thought?" The three others waited."So my Joseph and Max are lovers. And Joseph has not said a word to me about it. He's never even mentioned Max."

"They had a falling out," Mary said.

"Yes, it seems, Mabel, that Max caught our grandson in bed with another young fellow. And the young fellow happened to be Max's worst enemy." She went on to tell the whole story.

"So Max hasn't spoken to Joseph since?" Mabel asked.

"No," Mary sighed. "The week after graduation he moved to L.A."

"This is a sad story. I thought there was something haunting Joseph. I even asked him about it once and he laid it on having to leave his family to go to school.

Joseph leaned against the parapet staring out over the city. He'd brought his grandmother up to Dave's rose garden knowing she wouldn't come by herself. She sat on a bench and watched him for a while and then rose to join him. As she laid her crossed arms on the top of the wall he smiled at her. She noticed that his eyes didn't smile with his mouth.

"What keeps making you so sad, Joseph?"

"Oh, it's nothing Grandy M. I was just thinking."

"About Max?"

Joseph grimaced. "I wondered how long it would be before someone told you. Who was it? Mom?"

"No, it was your other grandmother. I had lunch with her, Max's mother and his grandmother."

Joseph couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice as he muttered, "I can just see it, a bunch of old hens clucking about poor Max, Joseph messed in his nest."

"It wasn't like that at all. It was more... poor Joseph, he may have messed up but he should be forgiven and given another chance."

"Even Aunt Mary and Gramma Jean feel that way?"

"Even more than your Gramma Angie."

"I didn't know that. Of course I've stayed away from them since I....."

"Messed up?"

Joseph nodded.

A couple of days later, Mabel strolled through the neighborhood to her son's house hoping to catch Joseph home alone. Lena answered the door and after visiting for a minute with her granddaughter, Mabel inquired about Joseph."

"Oh, he's up in his room moping as usual."

Mabel climbed the stairs and found Joseph's room. The door was open. She knocked and asked if she could enter.

"Hi, Grandy M, of course you can."

She stepped into the room and looked around. "I thought Angie was exaggerating." The walls looked like a war zone with all the dents and scrapes. A battered bookcase stood against one wall. Many of the books in it looked like they'd been abused. Joseph lay on a narrow single bed. The only other pieces of furniture were a folding card table and straight chair. A brand new laptop computer set on the table beside an old metal goose neck lamp.

Joseph leaped from the bed to give his grandmother a hug and a kiss on her cheek. "No, Grandy, I'm sure that the only way she could have exaggerated, was to say I set off a bomb in here."

"Are your parents forcing you to live like this?"

"No. They wanted to redo the whole room before I got out of the hospital. I insisted that it stay this way."

"Do you really need the reminder, my dear? Or are you punishing yourself."

"I guess you could call it a memorial to the grand moment that I destroyed my future."

"That's so much nonsense, Joseph, and you know it. You have your whole life ahead of you."

"Without my soulmate... what does that amount to?"

"Most people go through their whole lives never finding theirs, and they lead full happy lives."

"They don't know what they're missing, never having had them. But I found mine, Grandy, and I threw him away. I know what I have lost."

Mabel sat on the straight chair and studied her grandson who'd propped himself up against the wall beside his bed. "Is that what you did? Is that what you really did...? I don't think so, sweetheart. I think you made a mistake. A forgivable mistake and Max will soon mature enough to see that, and he'll come around to forgiving you."

Joseph simply sighed and wiped his eyes.