3. Grandma Mary

Rosalie

"Grandma! That's a naughty thing to say." I laugh along with my grandmother at something she said.

She smiles at me. “I'm not a child, Rosie. I may be old but I used to get it down too when I was around your age." She winks at me and I can't help but erupt into another fit of laughter. I don't think I want to ever hear my grandmother use the term 'getting it down' again. I lift our joined hands to my face and warm her hand on my cheek.

Her touch has always felt like home. I've always been at my happiest when I'm around my grandmother.

"Oh, Lord! Grandma." I throw my head back, laughing loudly. My laugh fills the silence in the house, reminding me that Grams and I were alone tonight, as usual.

She shoots me a knowing look. “What happened, Sweet Rosie? Why have you been so upset lately? It’s been a few weeks now, and you haven’t been yourself."

"Upset? I'm not upset, Grams. I'm fine," I lie. "Don't worry about me."

She places her hands on mine, "Don't lie to me, child. I know you better than that." She was right. Grams knew me better than anyone in my family. After all, she was the one who raised and looked after James and me when our parents disappeared doing heaven knows what.

"It's just stress with work, nothing else." I decided to tell her the easiest answer just so she would stop worrying.

She smiles lovingly, studying my face silently. "How is, Mr Sinclair?"

"He's fine, Grandma. Do you want some ice cream?" I ask her, trying to change the topic to something else apart from my boss.

"I don't believe you, darling. What's wrong? Did something happen with, Nicholas?"

"No," My brows lift. "Why would you think that? I already told you before, Grams, he hates me." I tell her.

"Well, you've always had feelings for him." My eyes widen and I'm about to start protesting when she lifts her finger, stopping the words from leaving my mouth. "And don't tell me it's a lie, I know you do." She says with a knowing smile.

Have my feelings towards, Nicholas been that obvious that even Grams noticed?

“No, Grandma." I lie. "I don't care about him at all. Didn’t I tell you? That man is the devil. He’s heartless and emotionless. He cares about nothing and no one but himself.” I suppress the aching of my heart and straighten my spine.

"Don't lie to me, Rosie." She pinches my cheeks playfully.

"No. He’s just my boss, nothing more. You should stop watching so many Telenovelas because you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”

“Am I?” she asks, her brows raised.

“Yes!”

She rises to her feet and starts to unpack the food she made and kept for me, placing different containers on the coffee table leisurely. “If that’s true, then why were you upset that one time when a woman came to see him in the office?" She asks me

I stare at her in surprise. How could she possibly have noticed that? All I did was rant about my day to her. I didn't tell her about how my heart ached when I saw how lovingly he gazed at the woman. “I was not upset.” I lie again.

She glances at me and shakes her head. “What is it then?"

I groan and fall back on the sofa. “Grandma. I’m focusing on building my career. I just want to take care of you, James, and my parents.”

She looks me square in the eye and pauses, a yogurt container in her hand. “But who is going to take care of you, Princess?” there's a small pang in my chest after what she said.

I cross my arms and sigh. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I can take care of myself.”

She nods. “I know you can, Rosalie. But sometimes it’s nice to rely on someone, even if you don’t have to. Sometimes it’s nice not to be alone. Life goes by fast, Rose. When you get to my age, what will you have? What memories will you have made? Your work won’t keep you warm at night.” She hesitates, and then she sits down next to me. "I love our family, but they're bringing you down, Rose. You've spent half your life caring for all these grown people, and it is not good for you." She places her palm on my face and kisses my forehead, "You need to start looking out for yourself more, sweet child."

I muster a weak smile "I don't mind, grandma. I like taking care of my family. I don't mind." I kiss the back of her hand.

Grams sighs tiredly, "I won't be here forever, Rosie." There's another sharp pain in my chest again. "And I'll hate to leave this world, knowing you aren't happy. You deserve the world, princess." I smile lovingly at her, doing my best to accept everything she's saying.

"Don't say that! You still have a lot of time to spend with me." I hug her

After some time, grams pulls away and turns back toward the food she made for me. “Here,” she tells me. “Have some of this—” she frowns as she stares at the container filled with Chicken in front of her. Her face pales as her expression goes blank. “Mariah,” she says, calling me by my mother’s name. “This? What is it called?”

Worry grips me as I wrap an arm around her. “Grams?” I murmur, my heart racing.

She looks into my eyes and blinks. “Ah, Darling Rosie? What is wrong, Princess?”

What is going on? “Grandma, have you been forgetting things lately?” I ask, my voice soft.

She laughs it off with a wave of her hand. “I’m old, Rosie. It happens.”

That seemed like more than momentary forgetfulness. She was confused, and for a moment, she thought I was my mother. “How about we pay a visit to the doctor? It would make me feel so much better.”

Her expression hardens and she shakes her head. “Sharks,” she tells me. “They’re all sharks. All they want is your money. Even if nothing is wrong, they’ll find something to make us pay. I won’t go.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “This is why we have health insurance, Grams.”

She shakes her head, a stubborn glint in her eyes. “You know they don’t cover everything, especially for me. I won’t go.”

I nod reluctantly. It’ll take me a while to convince her to go, but I’ll have to. “Okay, Grandma.”

I rest my head against her shoulder, a hundred different thoughts fighting for dominance in my mind. I’m worried about my grandmother. I can't lose her, she's all I have left in this wicked world.

I need her, I'll be all alone without her.

I can't be alone.