My body went rigid and blood drained from my face.


    "I will text her the hospital address," Mark said then the line went dead.


    "Oh God," sensing the urgency of the situation, Lucas quickly rolled off me and I jumped out of bed. "Lucas, I need to get there quickly." I didn''t bother to search for the clothes we had blindly flung across the room. I ran straight to my wardrobe and reached for the first outfit I saw a dress shirt.


    I reached for my underwear and strapped it on. My hands trembled as I struggled with the buttons of the shirt. Lucas was suddenly before me. He gently and wordlessly took the shirt from me, undid the buttons and put the shirt over my head and did the button. I just stood there and let him dress me up.


    Even though Doris was not my biological grandma, even though she was the grandma of a man I once loathed, she still meant so much to me. Grandma Doris is one of the few people that treated me well. She was the one who gave me an inkling of how it felt to have a mother. She had been nothing short of good since she met me. I don''t think I could bear it if anything happened to her.


    Her condition must really be serious for her to have asked to see me.


    As I put on my flip-flops, ready to dash out of the house, Lucas'' hold on my arm stopped me. "Let mee with you."


    "I''ll wait for you in the car," I told him and rushed out.


    We went with Lucas'' car. Thank God there was no traffic; within minutes, Lucas was pulling before the hospital entrance. He urged me in while he went to find a parking spot.


    I ran inside and told them who I was there to see. "Doris Torres."


    The man shook his head and didn''t even bother to check. "She is in VIP room 012. The VIP rooms are by your right."


    "Thank you," I muttered and as I turned to find the ward room, Lucas caught up with me.


    He held my hand and we both located the room together. In no time, we found the room. Mark was waiting by the door. His eyes settled on us, then it dropped to our joined hands and his face hardened. And then he was shooting daggers at my neck.


    I ignored his glowering look and ran to him. "She''s in, right?"


    He nodded and said in a clipped tone, "She''s waiting for you."


    I started to go in, Lucas'' hand still clutching around mine. Mark stopped us, cing a firm palm on Lucas'' chest.


    "Grandma only asked to see her." He raised his brows "not you."


    "Mark-"


    I started but Lucas let go of my hand and nodded inside, "Go in. I''ll wait here."


    I hesitated but he gave me another assuring nod.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The moment we pushed the door open and stepped into the room, Grandma Doris'' face was turned to the other side and she slowly turned her head to face.


    1. me.


    My heart broke at the sight before me. Grandma Doris looked gaunt and pale. as sheid there with her usual resolute expression. My eyes watered as I smiled at the expression on her face. No matter how bad things get, Grandma never shows any sign of weakness.


    It wasn''t until Grandma shed me a smile and beckoned on me with her hands that I realized that I was frozen in the middle of the room and my cheeks were moist with my own tears.


    I ran to her bedside and took her frail hands in mine; they clutched mine. strongly and squeezed my hand reassuringly. That gesture alone made me feel. a little bit at ease. Though I couldn''t stop the hot tears that rolled down my face, I was assured that she would be fine. Doris is strong and she''d be fine.


    I sniffed, "I''m here," I whispered in such a low voice that I could barely hear myself but Grandma did.


    Her smile widened and her grasp on my hand tightened, "There, there, no more


    crying."


    My voice clogged in my throat and I had to take a few deep breaths before could let any word out, "Grandma, you have to get better."


    I felt pain shoot through my heart when she just smiled and said, "You''d be fine, Sydney, you''re strong."


    I shook my head. I tightened my hold on her hand and quickly loosened it, scared that I might be causing her more pain. "You will be fine. You will get out of this hospital bed, hale and hearty." She regarded me for a while, I could see her eyes gleam like I had never seen before. Then she nodded, "Okay." She looked away from me and gazed up at the ceiling.


    "I''ve known about my cancer for a while now," she started solemnly, "I was told how long I had left then I was given a bunch of medication. Now that would have been enough but they started to list things I could eat and couldn''t, activities I could participate in and couldn''t... that was where I drew the line." She paused and scoffed before she continued again. "I couldn''t just sit my ass in a hospital room with damn VIP treatments and prettily prepare for death toe for me. I hadn''t lived my life preparing for death, I made it clear to the doctor that I wouldn''t end my life that way. So I made the doctor discharge me. I went back home, packed my bags and begrudgingly included a bunch of the medications I was prescribed and left the country. Then I started to travel around the world." There was a smile on her face now. It was like she was reliving those days. Her voice was filled with so much strength and vigor and liveliness. If anyone heard her and didn''t see her state on the bed, they''d argue till their death that there was no way a woman that sounded so alive was this sick. "I threw caution into the air and lived my life, Sydney. I enjoyed different meals and wine. I visited ces. I met people, beautiful people, good and amazing humans. I spent myst years enjoying life to the fullest." Her smile dimmed and she turned to me, "I think that was when all the burden and responsibility fell on my sweet boy''s shoulders. Without his father and me around, Mark had to shoulder everything and solidly keep the business in the family." She paused and her eyes searched mine. "I do not have much time left which is why I have called for you."