AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yiayia?”
“Don’t look so worried, poulaki mou. Yiayia is strong. I not gonna die today. Or tomorrow either.”
I laughed roughly and she gave me a gentle squeeze then looked at me. “Don’t talk to your sister like that poulaki mou. You don’t know the whole story.”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
I turned to Amber. She looked worried. “I’m sorry I spoke to you like that, Amber.”
She smiled tentatively, and I smiled back, but something had shifted between us. While she didn’t know what it was, I did. I would forever be the tagalong.
“What the doctor said?” Yiayia asked Amber.
Amber placed her hand on Yiayia’s leg. “Broken arm and concussion. They want to take a closer look at your hip and then they’ll tell us when we can take you home.”
“Okay, koukla mou. Don’t worry. Yiayia is strong.”
Yiayia turned to me. “You don’t put your life on hold for me no more, koukla. I be okay. I want you to be okay. Life is adventure, koritzaki mou, and life is happening whether you scared or brave. The world is in your little hands! Don’t throw it away.”
Her voice sounded scratchy, and I reached for the water to give her a sip.
She turned to Amber. “I have headache, koukla. Gus is not a perfect man, he is only human, but he is a good man. Don’t lose that.”
Amber smiled tightly. “Okay, Yiayia.”
“Don’t say ‘okay’ and not do anything about it. I see more than you think I do. I know more than you all tell me.” She tried to wave away Amber’s next words and gasped at the pain in her arm. Amber jumped up, alarmed.
“Is okay, koukla. I forgot about my arm. Go ask the nurse for something for my head, koritzi mou.”
Just then, the nurse opened the door to check Yiayia’s vitals. By the time she finished, Yiayia was asleep, and the nurse reassured us she would be back in an hour to check on her again.
“I’m sorry, Ruby,” Amber murmured. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”
“It’s okay, Amber.” I tried to smile at her reassuringly. “I understand.”
I did.
Changes were coming hard and fast and I felt lost and displaced.
First Vander showed up, then I gave into my feelings for him, after which I was hit with the revelation that Vander was Jace’s father.
Quick on those heels, I met George and accepted him into my life with the plan to combine our households. This necessitated leaving Yiayia and losing the only home I’d had since I was ten years old.
The first night away from her, she fell and hurt herself, and all I could think about was eventually losing her for good.
To top it all off, I realized that my place in Amber’s life had not really changed since those early days when I dropped out of university, when she and Minty pulled me into their fold.
Maybe Yiayia was right, and I didn’t have my own life. I’d even shelved my franchising idea. It was a lot to think about.
Amber and I took turns giving Vander and Gus updates, as well as touching base with Minty and the boys. After several hours, the doctor admitted Yiayia into a ward. They decided to keep her overnight for observation and confirmed that she did in fact have a concussion. They hoped to release her in the morning.
There was nothing left for us to do, so we headed home.
I tried to convince Vander I was fine at home alone with Jace, but he insisted.
Too tired to argue, I nodded.
I could use his big arms around me while I slept.
