Macy was glad to be meeting her grandparents on Saturday.  It had been a rough week, and she looked forward to their company.  There was something therapeutic about gardening with Grandma Sue.  Macy could talk about anything over the tomato and cucumber plants, no matter how bad it was.  It was a safe place.  Grandma's world was so totally different from the wild world she had been a part of for too long, a world she was trying to escape from with her grandma’s support.  As they worked together on growing a garden, Macy hoped she could also grow through the trials.

Grandma Sue’s huge floppy hat contrasted with Macy’s smart ball cap and ponytail as they picked the crop of ripe green sweet peas growing along the fence.  They had been quiet for a long time, getting into the rhythm of the work.  Finally, a long sigh broke the silence.

“My job interview didn’t go well.”  

Sue didn’t look up from the weeds she was evicting from her flowerbed.  “That bad?” she asked.

“Well the guy was super nice to me until I started to answer his questions.  He looked at me like I was a freak.”  Macy started in on the weeds with vigor as if the man’s face was blooming from the tops of them.  “I know he thought I’m a tweaker, even though I’m not anymore.  He emphasized a drug test being part of the conditions of employment.”  

Wiping her brow with the back of her glove, Sue considered carefully what she was going to say.  “Macy, I know you’ve been running straight for a long while now.  Even though you are trying to do everything right, it’s still been hard for you.”  She paused looking for a reaction from Macy.

With a furrowed brow she replied, “Grandma, I really want to take some nursing classes.  I think I’d be good at it.  But I can’t afford that, and I don’t want to ask you and Pops for the money.  If I could only get a job that helps me pay for it, I think I could do it.  I just feel like when I go job hunting, no one takes me seriously.”

“And why not, Honey?”  Sue was fishing for an answer, and dared to barely look up from under the side of her hat at her granddaughter.

“Honestly?  I think they’re grossed out by my teeth.  Even though I’ve cleaned up my life, my teeth are telling people I’m a bad person.  They keep me from leaving the past behind.  I try really hard not to smile with my mouth open, but it’s hard to hide them the entire time.  They’re bound to show when I talk.  Who would want to hire me?”  Her voice cracked and she tried to hold back creeping tears.

“Macy, your smile used to be lovely.  What if you were able to get it back?”

Rocking to her heels, Macy gestured with her garden tool.  “Sure, that would be great, but if I can’t afford a semester of school, how can I afford to do anything about my teeth?  They’re rotten, and I’ve been losing them one at a time as they get abscessed.”

Finally Sue looked directly at her granddaughter.  “Your grandpa and I think you deserve your smile back.  We've decided to help you. I’m calling Dr. Yeoman today.”

Tears flowed from both women as Macy hugged her grandma with all the gratitude she could possibly show.

Tags: Macy's Story