“Sweet pea? What is it? Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m just going to use the bathroom. I’ll be back.” She stood and moved towards the door. She only got a few steps, though, before his large, warm hand wrapped around hers. He tugged at her gently.
“Look at me, Gigi.” His voice was gentle, but firm.
She sighed and turned to look at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to start. . .”
She was cut off as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t apologize. You don’t ever need to apologize for caring about someone.”
“I wanted to support you, though. She’s your nan. You shouldn’t have to be strong for me!”
“Baby, come here.” He led her back to the chairs and sat in one, settling her onto his lap. She stiffened slightly, looking over at Penny, but she never stirred.
He drew her in, rubbing her back with long, slow movements of his hand. “I love that you want to support me. Thing is, you don’t have to do anything except be here and you’re helping me. Just knowing that you care about her. That you’ve been here for her and that she’s meant more to you than just a paycheck—”
“Of course, she means more to me than that, you don’t know—” Of course he doesn’t know. Because you haven’t told him it all.
She should tell him everything. But she couldn’t. The words caught on her tongue. She wasn’t ready yet.
He watched her curiously.
“You don’t know just how much she means to me.”
“She’s a special woman. And I feel so guilty that I didn’t know she was ill. That I didn’t see her more often than once a year.”
“She always told me that just seeing you once a year made the time you did get to be together that much sweeter.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I know what she meant. I just wish she would have moved to the US. However, she loved her house, loved living here.”
“She looks so frail lying there. When I think of her, I think of how strong she is. I wish I had her strength.”
He kissed the side of her head. “You and me both, baby girl.”
They sat there for a while longer, talking to each other and to Penny. When they stood to leave, they froze as she moved and murmured something.
“Nan?” Macca leaned over her.
She opened her eyes and smiled. Then reached up with a frail hand to pat his cheek. “My boy. I knew you’d come for her. Look after her.”
He clasped hold of her hand. “I will, Nan.”
“Love you,” she told him.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Love you too, Nan.”
Her gaze turned to Gigi. “My girl.”
Then she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Gigi stood there, hardly daring to breathe, not wanting to make any noise and interrupt whatever Macca was thinking about as he stood over his nan, holding her hand.
Finally, he stood and let go of his grandmother’s hand then he turned to her and held out his hand. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s go home.”
* * *
As he sat at the dining table and sipped his coffee
, his mind was occupied with thoughts of his nan. Old memories and regrets. When they walked through the door into her house, it seemed to weigh on him even more. If it wasn’t so hot, he’d go for another run, try to get out of his head. Maybe he could go for a swim.
He turned to Gigi to ask her if she’d be okay for an hour or so, when she surprised him by slipping her hand into his. They’d stopped on the way home and grabbed a quick sandwich, but he hadn’t even tasted his. In fact, he wasn’t even certain if she’d finished hers.