718 Chapter 717
Keira paused for a moment.
Finally, she made up her mind and said directly, âActually, Grandma didnât forget you⊠My medicine really worked, sheââ
âI know.â
Lewis interrupted her, making Keira stop in surprise.
âYou know?â
âYeah.â Lewis lowered his head and gave a bitter smile. âDid you forget? Grandma used to have Alzheimerâs. Every time she had an episode, I was the only person she recognized. She always said sheâd never forget me.â
Keira froze.
Lewis instinctively reached for a cigarette in his pocket, but after a momentâs hesitation, he pulled his hand back. His gaze shifted to the window, looking out at the dark clouds gathering in the distance.
His voice was low as if it came from far away. âHow could Grandma forget her favorite grandson? She even remembers Oliver⊠So, just like you said, she mustâve pretended not to recognize me, knowing I couldnât handle her leaving. Maybe she thought that if I got used to the sadness now, I wouldnât be as devastated when sheâs really gone.â
Keiraâs eyes welled up as she grasped Lewisâs hand.
She hadnât realized how deep Grandmaâs love for Lewis wasâand how much trust Lewis had in her love.
She looked at him. âSo what do we do next?â
âWe play along.â
Lewis lowered his eyes. âI canât let Grandma worry about me as sheâs leaving. Even now, sheâs still concerned about me. How can I let her down? Keira, starting tomorrow, letâs try to be happy.â
Keira swallowed hard but quickly nodded. âOkay.â
Lewis held her hand.
That night, they slept holding each other.
But in the middle of the night, Keira was woken up by Lewis, who was tossing and turning. Half-asleep, he kept calling out âGrandma,â then jolted awake.
He would rush downstairs, check on old Mrs. Horton in her room to feel her breathing, and only then return to bed, reassured.
Keira watched him, sighing silently.
Grandma didnât have much time left.
Her sudden collapse earlier that day was a sign.
The next morning, when Keira woke up, Lewis was still asleep. She didnât wake him but quietly got out of bed.
After heâd woken up in the night and gone to check on Grandma, he hadnât been able to fall back asleep until almost dawn. He needed the rest.
Keira headed downstairs and saw that old Mrs. Horton was already up, being helped down by Fiona. Marisa and Selena were with her, making sure she was comfortable while she had breakfast.
Keira walked over, but before she could say anything, Marisa smiled at her. âMiss Olsen, the old lady would love to have a meal prepared by you for lunch. Would that be okay?â
Keira paused slightly at her words, then glanced at old Mrs. Horton.
She was smiling, though there was a sharp glint in her eyes.
Old Mrs. Horton probably didnât want Keira to feel pressured, so before she could speak, Keira nodded. âOf course. Iâll have it ready by lunchtime.â
Old Mrs. Horton had always loved her cooking. Now, with only a short time left, how could Keira not make sure she was well cared for?
It didnât matter if Marisa was trying to boss her around.
As long as Grandma was the one eatingâŠ
With that thought, Keira headed into the kitchen. As she walked in, she overheard Selena asking old Mrs. Horton, âGreat-Grandma, do you know who she is?â
Mrs. Horton hesitated for a moment before answering, âNo.â
âSheâs the new housekeeper.â
Selenaâs words made Keira smirk slightly.
If they wanted to treat her like a servant, they had no idea what was coming!
But right now, Keira wasnât interested in arguing with them. She entered the kitchen and found Fiona there, her eyes red. When she saw Keira, Fiona immediately said, âMiss Olsen, donât take it to heart. Mrs. Horton just doesnât recognize you anymore.â
Keira patted her on the shoulder. âIâm fine, and so is Lewis. Donât worry, Fiona.â
Fionaâs eyes filled with tears.
She didnât realize that old Mrs. Horton was pretending and was worried that Keira and Lewis would be heartbroken. That was why sheâd come to offer a few words of comfort.
Keira sighed quietly.
Just then, a commotion came from outside, followed by the startled voices of Marisa and Selena. Keira rushed out and saw old Mrs. Horton vomiting up the food sheâd just eaten, covering both women in the process.
After throwing up, old Mrs. Horton looked at Marisa and Selena. âSorry, I couldnât help it.â
Marisa and Selena both looked down at the mess on themselves with disgust, glaring at old Mrs. Horton. But at that moment, they had no choice but to swallow their anger.
Marisa took a deep breath. âWeâll go change and be back later.â