She found herself missing the middle-aged man that lived next door. He was married and had grandkids and yet he still managed to take care of his, as well as grandma's lawn in the summer and her walkways in the winter. In exchange grandma would bake them pies and cookies.
"No, Crash," she said when he kicked to get down. She rang the bell juggling her toddler, purse and diaper bag. When the door opened it almost seemed as if the world had come to a standstill.
Her grandmother's face was frozen in surprise and Vanessa realized that she had been watching them from the front window.
"Hi grandma," Vanessa said after a prolonged silence.
The sound of her granddaughter's voice shook her out of her surprise and she opened the door wider to allow them inside.
"Come in out of the cold." Bertha Mae looked from Crash to Vanessa as they entered the house and then a smile spread across her face.