A successful young man who takes care of his disabled grandmother is frightened and shocked when he comes home one day and finds her gone.
Diana Stevens looked at the tall, handsome man leaning over the desk, file in hand. She whispered to the girl standing next to her: “What a hottie! Is he single?” she asked.
The girl, Peggy Grey, snorted derisively. “More or less!” she exclaimed. “Would you believe that Steven Harvey, the most successful broker at this firm and one of the most handsome guys in town lives with his granny?”
“Are you serious? “Diane asked. “His GRANDMOTHER?”
“Yep,” Peggy said. “I should know. I asked him out on a date. He and I went out to dinner, then halfway through he left because he was worried about granny! What a jerk!”
“I think that’s sweet…” Diane said, eyeing Steve speculatively. “A guy who puts family first…And such a catch…”
“Give it a try if you like,” Peggy snorted. “But don’t come crying to me if you fail!”
What neither Peggy nor Diana understood was that Steve really was a nice guy. His parents had passed away when he was very young, and he’d been raised by his grandparents, Ryan and Christine.
Eight years before, Ryan had passed away, and that was when Steve moved back into his grandparents’ house. Christine had a stroke and become very frail, and Steve feared that she had lost the will to live when her beloved husband passed away.
With Steve’s presence and loving nursing, Christine had improved immensely and recovered some of her energy and good humor. She constantly encouraged Steve to go out with his friends and colleagues, but he rarely did.
“Gran,” he said. “Honestly, all they do most of the time is drink and boast about money and women. It’s just not my scene.”
“But Steve,” Christine objected. “You don’t go out on dates either! There must be nice girls you like and yet you spend your evening here with me?”
Steve just laughed. “Gran,” he said. “You know you are my best girl!”
“Please, Steve,” Christine begged. “Just give it a try! I’d be so glad to see you settled down and happy!” So Steve promised Christine that he would give the next girl who caught his eye a chance.
A few weeks later, he was working late and Diana walked in. “Hey!” she said smiling. “Fancy seeing you still here!”
“I’m waiting to talk to a client in Japan,” Steve said politely.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you alone for a while now,” Diane said smiling. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner and a movie this weekend…with me. I’m going to a film festival with my sister and her husband, and we could double date.”
Steve looked at Diane who really was very attractive, and he remembered his promise to his grandmother. “Sure,” he said. “I’d like that.” And just like that, he had a date.
Diane was very excited. “You see,” she told Peggy happily. “I’ve got him in the bag!” But Peggy just shook her head skeptically. She knew Steven better than Diane.
At first, the date was a success. The two couples went out to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant and Steve was as charming as Diane could have wished. But things started going wrong after the movie.
“Why don’t we go to my place for a nightcap?” whispered Diane seductively as she nuzzled Steve’s ear in the taxi. “You’re the nicest man I’ve ever met…”
“Sorry,” Steve said. “I have to go home. I don’t like leaving my grandmother alone all night.”
Diana was insulted. “You’d rather go home to your grandmother than have a drink at my place?” she sputtered. “What kind of a freak are you?” Steve didn’t even answer. He hopped out of the taxi and called himself an Uber.
He arrived home half an hour later and looked in on Christine. She was in bed reading. “Home so soon?” she asked. “Didn’t you have a nice time?”
“I did,” Steve said. “Dinner was great, the movie was very interesting…”
“And the girl?” asked Christine. “Didn’t you like her?”
Steve shrugged. “Gran, I’m an old-fashioned guy,” he said. “I think it will have to be a special kind of girl.”
The next morning was a Saturday, and Steve got up early to go running so he didn’t see the light blinking on his answering machine, but Christine, who got up an hour later, did.
She pressed the button and a woman’s angry voice filled the room: “They warned me about what a creep you are but I didn’t believe it! How could you dump me to be with some decrepit old bag?
“There are plenty of men just begging to be with a girl like me! Wait and see! I’m done with you, Steve! I’m going to tell everyone what a loser you are! ”
Christine switched off the machine with tears in her eyes. She knew she was a burden to Steve! It was because of her that he didn’t have a girlfriend — that he’d never married, or had children.
“I’m going to make things right, Steve,” Christine swore. She picked up the phone and made a few calls. When Steve came home, he saw that Christine was a little quieter than usual but he thought nothing of it.
When he came home from work on Monday, he was in for a huge shock. Christine wasn’t there! Her medication was gone, and her wardrobe was bare. There was a note on the kitchen table: “Steve, I’m doing what’s best for you. Love you always.”
Steve spoke to the next-door neighbor who told him she saw Christine get into a car from a local nursing home at around lunchtime. Steve immediately drove over and asked for his grandmother.
“Gran!” he cried when he was shown into her room. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Christine shook her head firmly. “I’m doing the right thing, Steve,” she said. “For you and for me. I’ve been very selfish, allowing you to sacrifice yourself for me, but that’s over.
“I’ll be living here from now on, and you can come and visit me whenever you like, but you will have a normal life like any other young man!”
Steve was very upset and he argued with Christine for a long time but she wouldn’t yield. Eventually, he went home and lay awake all night thinking about the best solution for their lives.
The next day, Christine was getting up when a cheerful voice said: “Goodmorning, Mrs. Harvey! Here is your hot tea and toast just as you like it!”
At the sound of that familiar voice, Christine turned around. It was Steve and he was wearing an orderly’s uniform! “What are you doing?” Christine gasped. “Are you mad?”
“No,” Steve said. “I’m very sane. You see, you may leave me, Gran, but I will NEVER leave you. I’d rather give up my job so I can be here for you than lose you.”
Christine started crying and Steve put his arms around her. After a long talk, they came to an agreement. Steve wouldn’t give up his job, and Christine would come home — but they would hire a companion for his grandmother so that Steve could start socializing more.
Eventually, he did meet a lovely girl, got married, and had children for Christine to spoil shamelessly — and his wife didn’t mind that his grandmother lived with them.