Episode 991: I'll Be There

“You don’t have to go to that garden party if you don’t want to,” she said, “it’s not as if you gave it rave reviews the last time you went. I know you said your grandpa’s been okay at work, he hasn’t pushed you or anything, but that’s just, it’s not my experience with him and so I worry. I don’t want you going to this party and having my father pressure you into parading around as his debutante granddaughter to impress people. I don’t want him to make you feel like you have to be fake. The real you,” Justine ran her hand over her daughter’s hair, “you’re the best person I know and I don’t want anyone including my father making you feel less than that.”

“It’s okay, Mom. I know what grandpa’s like, I make sure to be suspicious at all times,” Tansy said.

Justine cringed a little because what kid should have to be so aware of her father’s motives, but at the same time she was glad that her daughter was so aware and good at reading people if Tansy insisted on associating with her grandfather.

“Grandpa’s a jerk a lot of the time, I don’t want to follow in his footsteps, but I think I can learn some business that might be good for the non-profit stuff I maybe want to do after college. I’m only interested in learning the good things from grandpa, and no way am I letting him show me off. You’re right, I don’t want to go to the party, but Grandpa was going to hire a dog sitter to mind Walter during the party and I was just so afraid that would go wrong. Grandpa and me at work and a little bit grandma at home have been the only ones looking after him and I just, if he’s with some stranger I’m worried Walter will act out and if he gets loose at the party or barks too much then what will Grandpa and Grandma do? They don’t exactly have a history of tolerance, I mean maybe once they know Walter really well, but this soon? I figure it’s better if I look after Walter instead of a stranger, I want to be there for him, help him get so settled in that they won’t ever want him to leave, he likes his new home so much, I can tell. So I’m going to the party, but not really, I’m just wearing this dress in case Walter and I accidentally cross paths with the guests, I’m pretty sure there’s a dress code.”

“Always, my parents don’t believe in informal,” Justine said. “I still can’t believe my father got a dog. Maybe I should have been less worried about his influence on you and more pleased that you might have a good influence on him. You just might humanize him yet.”

“Speaking of humanizing, I don’t trust Uncle Sebastian, you and dad are going over there, right? If Walter didn’t need me, I would totally be there to make sure someone has Xavier’s back.”

Episode 992: It's My Party