"Hello, Allyson," said the bright, smiling face on my doorstep before giving me a big hug. I reluctantly hugged back.

Years ago, I stopped seeing my mother's parents when they decided to divorce. I didn't quite understand what was happening, but one thing I knew was that my mother didn't want me involved.

After five years, I got a phone call from my grandfather the day before Easter. He wanted to see us again - the next day, in fact - and I was ecstatic.

"We'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!" he said, and I hung up. Then it hit me - he had remarried! I didn't care how wonderful she supposedly was, I would never, ever call her Grandma.

I was so furious that I wanted to call him back to say, "Don't you dare bring that woman here!" I was so angry I was crying. I couldn't believe this was happening. I decided to take action and began to plot. I would be short with her. I would keep her name off the Easter card. I would be more sarcastic than I'd ever been. I would do whatever necessary to make her hate me. If I gave it to her, she'd give it back to me. She would be the Wicked Witch of the West and I would be Dorothy. I would expose her evil side and drop a house on her. The End.

Amid all my plotting, my conscience started to kick in. How could I treat anyone like this? I didn't even know her! I pushed those thoughts away and waited.

The next day, they arrived and when we were introduced, it began. I handed her a card without her name on it and answered her questions with bratty answers.

"So, Allyson," she asked, "what do you like to do for fun? I hear that you Irish step-dance."

"Yeah, I dance," I managed to reply.

"Well, that is really great! I'm glad you enjoy it! I would love to see you dance sometime!" she responded sweetly to my curt answer. This may seem like nothing, but it made me really angry. I was expecting her to give it right back to me, but she didn't! Guilt for being so rude arose, but I suppressed it until I saw that she had taken the time to create the coolest Easter basket ever. There were tennis balls, all kinds of candy, a radio, bath gel and other great gifts. It was as though she knew me!

When everyone went outside to enjoy the spring weather, I ran to my room. All my guilt, anger, rage and sorrow poured from me in tears. This person responded to my anger and hatred with love and comfort. She knew what I felt and saw my rude comments as the disguise they were. After this epiphany I dashed to my computer and made a new card, one with her name. When I handed it to her, she just looked at me and smiled. I knew she understood. She must have known exactly how I felt. I saw it all in her wonderful smile.

When we went to their house for Easter dinner, I was flabbergasted by what I saw. It was my family! They were all together, laughing and having a fabulous time. This was a sight I had never seen in my 14 years. And then I understood - we were the last piece of the puzzle. She wasn't trying to ruin my family; she was trying to put the puzzle together. And guess what? She did!