The Bound Between Us

Chapter 1000

After Pattie started school, the house felt noticeably quieter.

Katelyn, ever the doting grandma, was up at the crack of dawn and off to

Southridge Estates to see her grandkids. She came loaded with bags-new toys, special treats, the works.

But Katelyn hadn't forgotten last time, when Pattie had put her way down on her "favorite people" list. Salma, the other grandma, had beaten her by a mile. This visit, Katelyn decided to make up lost ground with Emmie and Nancy.

She waved a shiny new toy in front of Nancy. "Hey, sweetheart, do you want a new toy?"

"I do!" Nancy's eyes sparkled. She could never resist something new.

Katelyn grinned. "Then tell Grandma-who do you like most?"

"Mommy... and Daddy." Nancy answered, sweet as ever, and just as diplomatic. She always picked both when someone asked her to choose between her parents.

Katelyn knew she couldn't win against Mom and Dad, but at least she wasn't being left out entirely. Still, she tried again. "How about this-who do you like more, Grandma or Nana?"

A tricky question for a little kid, but Nancy didn't even blink.

"Nana," she said, cheerfully.

faltered for a

listing "Grandma" first, but Nancy was absolutely certain. Her answer stayed the

you tell Grandma, you'll

Nancy clapped her hands, her tiny voice

for answering the question. If she'd said "Grandma," Katelyn probably would have

Emmie, who was stacking blocks in the corner. "Emmie, sweetheart, do you like Grandma or Nana better? Grandma

ice cream after sneaking a taste from Pattie one day. Since it was summer, she often begged her dad

If she caught them with any, she'd scold them for eating junk. In her mind, ice

was a

Katelyn insisted on washing everything in salt

kids hated it. She

playtime too so of course,

exactly

sneak treats and whisper to Herman and

cream," her face lit up. "I like

but Nana still

Katelyn was just done.

ahead of her. Grandma always came