Chapter 2

Casey's expression darkened, and her voice turned cold.

"Lawrence, I understand that you're angry, but you shouldn't threaten me with divorce at the drop of a hat. I'm tired enough as it is, dealing with Tommy's work every day. Be good, okay? I'll pick you and Grandpa up tomorrow and take you to Trinity Chapel."

Casey left, and the door slammed shut behind her with a deafening bang.

I looked toward Grandpa's room, and only after making sure there was no sound of movement did I let out a sigh of relief.

Pushing down the heartache, I sent a text to my lawyer, Perry Bowen.

"Please draw up divorce papers for me."

Casey showed up first thing the next morning.

Grandpa took her hand, smiled, and said, "Casey, sweetheart, you've come to see me."

Casey pulled her hand back and wiped it on her clothes with a look of disgust.

"Yeah, I'm taking you out. Just don't wander off, okay?"

Grandpa nodded joyfully.

It wasn't until we got downstairs that I realized Tommy had come too.

He sat in the passenger seat with a bottle of water in his hand, grinning at me.

"Lawrence, I wanted to paint some scenery. Casey said there was a vacant seat, so she brought me along. You don't mind, right?"

I looked at Casey.

She avoided my gaze and said, "It's on the way, so we might as well bring him along."

Looking at Grandpa's expectant gaze, I could only swallow the words of refusal.

It was only when I was about to get in that I realized the back seat was crammed with their painting supplies, leaving barely enough room for one person.

"Can you put your things in the trunk? There's no room for Grandpa and me," I said.

Tommy looked troubled. "Those painting supplies are expensive. What if they get damaged from all the jolting in the trunk?"

Casey immediately chimed in, "You and Grandpa squeeze in a bit. You're both skinny anyway."

I was about to refuse when Tommy said, frowning, "Casey, if we wait any longer, we'll miss the morning scenery."

"Get in. Don't make everyone else miss out because of you two," Casey ordered, her voice cold and hard.

I said nothing more and helped Grandpa into the car. I used my own body to shield Grandpa from the hard wooden easel, barely managing to carve out a small space for him.

The mountain road was bumpy, and the easel dug painfully into my lower back.

We finally arrived at the destination, but it wasn't Trinity Chapel. Instead, it was Stonehurst Monastery, nestled on the mountain.

Grandpa stared dazedly at the towering peaks in front of him.

Trinity Chapel was where he met my maternal grandmother, Naomi Newell, so he wanted to see it one more time while he was still lucid.

Enduring the pain in my back, I asked Casey, "Didn't we agree to go to Trinity Chapel?"

Casey took the easel out of the back seat.

"It's all the same. Stonehurst Monastery has better scenery than Trinity Chapel."

Tommy nodded too. "Trinity Chapel is nothing but a shabby old building. There's nothing worth seeing."

"But that's where Grandpa wanted to go. It's his only wish," I argued, trembling with anger.

"We'll go next time," Tommy grumbled. "We're already here. Turning back now would eat up half the day. There'll be no time to paint then."

I looked at the two of them furiously. "Then have you thought about how Grandpa can possibly climb the mountain at his age?"

Holding onto Grandpa, I was about to leave when Casey stopped me.

"Lawrence, are you done making a scene?" she chided in a low voice. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Where can you take Grandpa? The mountain isn't that steep. Just climb slowly."

Grandpa shielded me behind him, humble to the point of almost fawning.

"Casey, I don't want to go to Trinity Chapel anymore. Please don't quarrel with Lawrence. I'm still strong. I can manage the climb."

Casey frowned, then released her grip and stepped back. "Alright, Grandpa. Whatever you say."

My eyes prickled with tears, and the bruise on my lower back from the easel ached sharply.

But Casey had already taken Tommy's hand, laughing and chatting as they walked into the distance. Soon, they were out of sight.

Grandpa anxiously pulled at me and asked, "Why isn't Casey waiting for us?"

I forced a smile. "She's a fast walker. Let's just leave her be."

I carried Grandpa on my back and climbed the stone steps one by one under the scorching sun. In an instant, sweat soaked through my whole body.

After three hours of climbing, I was so exhausted that my body went weak, and my legs trembled before I finally reached the mountaintop with Grandpa on my back.

Meanwhile, Casey and Tommy had already settled down to rest under the shade of a tree. They were sitting on a picnic mat, drinking and eating. The two of them had even taken many photos together.

When she saw us come up, Casey put down the camera, visibly displeased.

"What took you so long? Tommy and I have been waiting for you two forever. We're drying out from the sun out here."

Was that really what she called waiting? They were just sitting around, taking photos, and enjoying a leisurely picnic.

I gave a wry smile and helped Grandpa sit down to rest.

Casey coldly set up the easel. She chose a spot with a nice view but little shade. Then, she told Grandpa to stand there without moving.

The sun was blazing, and Grandpa stood there for half a day. His face had gone stiff from smiling, and his bony frame shook the whole time.

I was so anxious that my palms were sweating.

"Aren't you done yet? Grandpa's about to give out."

Casey looked up irritably. "You're the ones who said you wanted a painting, and now you're complaining it's taking too long?"

My chest tightened, and I was about to retort when Grandpa smiled and shook his head.

"It's fine. I can hold on. Casey, you keep going."

Tommy walked over to support Grandpa and said, "Lawrence, it's hot out. Why don't you go buy Mr. Coffey a bottle of water?"

I glanced at Grandpa's pale face, then instructed Casey, "Grandpa doesn't look well, so please keep an eye on him."

"Okay," Casey replied.

But when I came back, I saw them standing under the shade of the tree.

Casey was guiding Tommy's hand as she taught him to paint, while Grandpa was sprawled on the ground. He had been out in the scorching sun so long that his face was bright red.