died years ago, and she'd never even known her.
"Phoebe didn't want to end up like this, trapped in her body," William said. "She used to say she'd rather be shot in the head than have her spirit suffocated inch by inch, second by second."
"Oh, God!" Tessa cried. "That's not going to happen to Grams, is it?"
Tessa looked like she was about to throw up. She also seemed to be seeking reassurance from Alli when just minutes before they'd been at each other's throats. But despite everything, Alli knew she had one thing in common with her sister, a deep and abiding love for their grandmother.
"Of course that's not going to happen," Alli said forcefully. "Grams will be back on her feet in a few days. You can't give up on her, Tessa. She never gave up on us. No matter what we did."
"She's really sick, Alli. This isn't just a cold. And you heard what William said. Grams must be so scared."
"Then we'll just have to reassure her. Grams is strong. She'll make it. She has to make it." Alli looked over at Phoebe and sent a silent prayer her way.
"Allison is right," William said, renewed strength in his voice. "Thank you for reminding me. Sometimes the fear takes hold, and it's difficult to make it disappear."
"You've known Grams a long time, haven't you?" Tessa asked him.
"Since we were seventeen. I met her at a party. I thought she was the prettiest girl in Philadelphia. She was wearing one of those floaty dresses that swirled around her legs when she danced. And she had this laugh, this incredible laugh that made everyone stop what they were doing so they could see what she was doing." He smiled at the memory. "We became friends that night, the best of friends. But a few months later her parents arranged a marriage for her with the son of their new business partner. His name was John MacGuire."
"Grandpa," Alli said softly. "But Grams never said the marriage was arranged."
"Oh, but it was, to solidify a business arrangement. John's parents had cash that Phoebe's parents desperately needed. John's parents wanted their son to have a wife, stability, a family. Phoebe's parents wanted the same thing for their child."
"But Grams loved Grandpa," Tessa said.
"She may have come to love him," William conceded. "But I can never forget how she looked the night she told me that she would have to marry to save her parents' business."
"I don't understand," Alli said in confusion. "Why didn't Grams tell us any of this?"
"It happened a long time ago."
A confused silence fell between them.
"Did Grams know that you loved her, too?" Alli asked.
"I was never in the running. I came from a poor family. That party I mentioned earlier, when I saw your grandmother for the first time, I was a waiter, not even a guest."
"I can't believe that Grams would have married for money," Tessa interjected.
"She didn't marry John for his money. She married him because it was what her parents wanted her to do. It was a different world then."
"Youdidn't answer my question," Alli said. "Did Grams know that you loved her then?"
William tried to shrug off her question, obviously uncomfortable at the turn of events. "She never asked. I never said."
"But all these years…"
"I worked hard to make something of myself, to be someone Phoebe would be proud to know. I married twice, tried to find the happiness that she seemed to show me every time we spoke or exchanged a letter. But I couldn't forget her. And ever since John died, I've hoped that she might find her way back to me."
"Maybe she will," Tessa said. "Maybe that first love will win out."
Alli's stomach turned over at Tessa's words. She didn't want to think about first loves outlasting all others. Not that she didn't want Phoebe to be happy now, but Alli didn't want to believe that Grams had spent the better part of her life mooning over the absent William.
"I've always hoped that it would. But perhaps I've left it too late," William said heavily, moving next to Phoebe so he could stroke her
"Phoebe didn't want to end up like this, trapped in her body," William said. "She used to say she'd rather be shot in the head than have her spirit suffocated inch by inch, second by second."
"Oh, God!" Tessa cried. "That's not going to happen to Grams, is it?"
Tessa looked like she was about to throw up. She also seemed to be seeking reassurance from Alli when just minutes before they'd been at each other's throats. But despite everything, Alli knew she had one thing in common with her sister, a deep and abiding love for their grandmother.
"Of course that's not going to happen," Alli said forcefully. "Grams will be back on her feet in a few days. You can't give up on her, Tessa. She never gave up on us. No matter what we did."
"She's really sick, Alli. This isn't just a cold. And you heard what William said. Grams must be so scared."
"Then we'll just have to reassure her. Grams is strong. She'll make it. She has to make it." Alli looked over at Phoebe and sent a silent prayer her way.
"Allison is right," William said, renewed strength in his voice. "Thank you for reminding me. Sometimes the fear takes hold, and it's difficult to make it disappear."
"You've known Grams a long time, haven't you?" Tessa asked him.
"Since we were seventeen. I met her at a party. I thought she was the prettiest girl in Philadelphia. She was wearing one of those floaty dresses that swirled around her legs when she danced. And she had this laugh, this incredible laugh that made everyone stop what they were doing so they could see what she was doing." He smiled at the memory. "We became friends that night, the best of friends. But a few months later her parents arranged a marriage for her with the son of their new business partner. His name was John MacGuire."
"Grandpa," Alli said softly. "But Grams never said the marriage was arranged."
"Oh, but it was, to solidify a business arrangement. John's parents had cash that Phoebe's parents desperately needed. John's parents wanted their son to have a wife, stability, a family. Phoebe's parents wanted the same thing for their child."
"But Grams loved Grandpa," Tessa said.
"She may have come to love him," William conceded. "But I can never forget how she looked the night she told me that she would have to marry to save her parents' business."
"I don't understand," Alli said in confusion. "Why didn't Grams tell us any of this?"
"It happened a long time ago."
A confused silence fell between them.
"Did Grams know that you loved her, too?" Alli asked.
"I was never in the running. I came from a poor family. That party I mentioned earlier, when I saw your grandmother for the first time, I was a waiter, not even a guest."
"I can't believe that Grams would have married for money," Tessa interjected.
"She didn't marry John for his money. She married him because it was what her parents wanted her to do. It was a different world then."
"Youdidn't answer my question," Alli said. "Did Grams know that you loved her then?"
William tried to shrug off her question, obviously uncomfortable at the turn of events. "She never asked. I never said."
"But all these years…"
"I worked hard to make something of myself, to be someone Phoebe would be proud to know. I married twice, tried to find the happiness that she seemed to show me every time we spoke or exchanged a letter. But I couldn't forget her. And ever since John died, I've hoped that she might find her way back to me."
"Maybe she will," Tessa said. "Maybe that first love will win out."
Alli's stomach turned over at Tessa's words. She didn't want to think about first loves outlasting all others. Not that she didn't want Phoebe to be happy now, but Alli didn't want to believe that Grams had spent the better part of her life mooning over the absent William.
"I've always hoped that it would. But perhaps I've left it too late," William said heavily, moving next to Phoebe so he could stroke her
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