On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the weather was perfect for ice tea and books on the porch. The breeze was just right to keep the bugs away.

It would be bliss if it were for the screaming coming from the inside. 

 Ivey Cooper age 17 1/2 was once again force to leave the house, whilst her parents carried on inside. She didn't want to be caught in the middle and asked to pick a side. She learned to become invisible a long while ago.

She wished they would just get a divorce like everyone else, Why pretend things were okay when the truth was talking of the town.

This town was so small, no but of gossip. True or false were ever missed. Everyone knew everything.

From the scandalous Work affairs and teen pregnancy to the petty bored housewife theft.
Her parents were always in the grapevine.

 She didn't have to go far, just a mile more, down to the blue house with Lilac painted shutters. In the backyard what she most was to sit in the shade with her grandmother, drinking iced lemonade.

She could almost taste it now, the sweet taste of lemon with a hint of lime. Her grandma would serve small lady finger sanded and if Ivey was good she would serve chocolate chip cookies made from scratch.

 The kind that melted like butter when you took a bite , she was almost there.

Hopefully her grandma would hear her frantic knocks and let her in before it got too hot out.

When Lana senior opened the door Ivey threw herself on the old woman. Hugging her tightly as she cried her eyes out. Telling her about the fight and the about the broken glass.

 Lana held her niece in her arms as she listened to what the poor child had to say. This certainly wasn't the time to break the tragic news to. She decided to wait till little Ivey had calmed down enough to take the news.

"How about we do your hair. I got tons of hair packs from my shop today." Lana suggested.

"Okay, where grandma though?" Ivey looked up at her aunt with watery eyes.

Lana looked around then said "she's tired, she'll be back a little later. Why don't we girls do a little catching up"

Ivey shook her head and let go of her aunt. 

Lana took her hand and lead her inside the cold house.

♠

When Lana had braided the last braid it was dark out and grandma was no where to be seen. Lana made a few phone calls to her family, Ivey tried her best not esvesdrop on "grown" folks business but she couldn't help it.

Granted she only managed to hear a little, what she heard didn't sound too happy. Whatever was going on wasn't sound like good, especially if Lana was trying her best to stay strong and not cry.

Ivey began to feel uncomfortable sitting in the chilled kitchen. Nothing was right about this moment. There was no lemonade and cookies. No bread was cooking in the oven. 

There was no grandma singing one of her church songs.

"Auntie where's grandma at?" Ivey finally asked.

Aunt Lana sighed and sat the table.

"Ivey baby, grandma is in the hospital. She's sick and might not make it" Lana confesses.

Ivey felt the blood drain from her face. "Can I see her?"

'No baby, doctors say we should start making arrangements."

"Arrangements for what?!"

Lana looked around again nervously "For her funeral"

Ivey's jaw dropped. 'How can she be sick? I just saw her last week'

"You know grandma has cancer sweetie, we're lucky she made it this long"

Ivey's eyes began to fill with tears, her nose began to get runny but she didn't care if she looked gross.

The woman she loved the most was dying and there was nothing she could do about it.

♣

It rained heavy that afternoon of the funeral, the pitter patter of rain hitting the tarp was all the sound around them, as they said their good byes.

Ivey took it the hardest, it didn't seem real the past few weeks until she was looking down at the black casket.

 It was real and the heart ache she felt was suffocating. She couldn't do this.

 Without saying anything. She left..

The house had been officially sold, she heard the people whom bought her grandmother's home were very nice people. She didn't care, she felt the bitter sting of knowing that she would never be able to come here as she once did.

One last time she opened the garden gate and followed, the heart shaped stones to the green house. At one time Ivey thought the stones were tacky but now they reminded her of grandmother's loving nature.

 Her grandmother always had a knack for making ugly plants beautiful again. 

 Ivey felt like a ugly wilting flower and she wished her grandmother was here to make her all better.

  Inside the green house she sat in faded blue bench her grandmother kept. She watched the flowers open up for the rain pelting the glass roof.

Tears fall as heavy as the rain outside, she felt so alone.

Warm wind ruffled her Sunday dress slightly, giving the grieving Ivey a bit of comfort.

 The smell of sweet lilacs danced around in the air around her, she always loved the way they smelled but...

Her grandmother was allergic to them, there was no way she plant then in her greenhouse.

 Ivey looked around frantically, looking for the source of the smell.

She felt someone else was here but she saw no one in the greenhouse. But she could feel it.

"Is some one there?" She felt silly talking to herself so openly.

 No one answered but some thing warm cupped her cheek for a brief second, it felt like like hands. Feeling alarmed she stumbled back but her back was braced by what felt like warm hands ..but no one was there.

She was all alone yet she felt someone's presence.

 It was the weirdest thing she ever experienced.