Nash brushed his lips against mine again before standing to his full height. “I’ll see you in a few.”
“Bye.” I sat up and yawned.
When he was gone, I padded into the kitchen to see what Gran was cooking. She shifted to look at me when I entered. While her face was still filled with color, her shoulders were rounded forward as though it was impossible for her to stand tall. She still looked so frail. I watched her for a moment as she leaned against the countertop, flipping slices of french toast at the stove.
“Morning,” I said. “Why are you up making breakfast? You should be in bed, resting still.”
She waved my words away. “I’m fine.”
A horrible wet cough bubbled from her chest, and panic twisted my insides.
“When do you think your friend will wake?” Gran asked. “Is she an early riser?”
Clearly, she wasn’t about to address how awful her cough sounded. There was something in her eyes that begged me not to either.
So, I didn’t. Instead, I let it slide.
“If you give her coffee,” I insisted with a grin. I’d never known Karen to set foot inside the gallery without an extra-large coffee in hand. She was the type who practically needed an IV of caffeine every morning to get going. “Why? Do you have something planned for us today?”
Amusement glittered in Gran’s eyes. She definitely had something up her sleeve.
“Make a pot of coffee, will you?” She asked instead of answering me.
“Okay, sure.” I stepped to the coffee maker and prepared the one thing I knew would get Karen on board with whatever early morning shenanigans Gran had.
Forty minutes later, the three of us had eaten the french toast Gran made and Karen sat sipping on her second cup of coffee.
“Whew. Now I feel like I can function,” Karen said, her caffeinated eyes bouncing between Gran and me. “Wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it back to Denton without some caffeine in me first. Thank you. Breakfast was lovely.”
“Oh, you’re not leaving yet,” Gran insisted. “I have plans for the three of us.”
“Oh. Okay.” Karen looked to me, arching a brow. I shrugged, having no idea what Gran had planned for the three of us. “I guess I could leave later tonight. I just need to make sure I’m back in time to open the gallery tomorrow morning.”
“So, what exactly do you have planned for us today, Gran?” I asked, eying her while I cut the remaining piece of french toast in half. “Something crazy and wild?” I was joking, but only slightly. Gran looked like she had something up her sleeve.
“I might.”
“I love how unpredictable and spontaneous you are,” Karen said to Gran before taking another sip from her coffee. “I’ve always wanted to be that way. While I’m not super structured, I doubt either of those words would be ones someone would use when asked to describe me.”
“We’re all unpredictable, honey,” Gran insisted. “Every second of everyday changes who we are. You live, you learn, and you grow. Never think you know someone because even they don’t even know themselves. People are always shifting from who they were into who they will become on their final day.”
I swallowed hard, my eyes glued to Gran. She seemed different. It was almost as though something about her had shifted right then. It only took me a few seconds to realize what I’d witnessed—Gran was no longer afraid. She’d accepted her death was coming. There was a sense of peace and contentment floating around her like a shimmering halo. If today was her day to leave this Earth, she was okay with it.
The problem was—I wasn’t.
I reached across the table and grabbed her hand to gently squeeze it in mine. My throat grew thick with the sudden threat of tears, and my lungs suddenly pinched tight as though they were unable to pull in even the tiniest breath of air. Gran flashed me a knowing smile as though she knew where my thoughts had dipped.
“All right, girls, get your bathing suits on and grab some sunblock,” Gran said, her voice sounding as though she was struggling to keep a cough in. “Let’s have some fun in the sun.”
That was a surprise.
“I didn’t bring a suit with me,” Karen said. “I didn’t think I’d need one.”
“Neither did I,” I admitted.
Swimming hadn’t been something I thought I’d be doing while here. Then again, neither had fishing or picking weeds in the garden.
Karen was right to label Gran as unpredictable and spontaneous.
“Well then, I guess the two of you will have to head to the store to buy one. Either that or see if Tris or Penny have one you can borrow,” Gran suggested.
“Let me text them and ask,” I said. Spending money on a bathing suit when I had so many back at my apartment didn’t seem smart. Especially now that I wasn’t sure if Damon Kincaid would ever buy another painting from me again.
Money might be tight from here on out.
“The four of us look about the same size. If not, I don’t mind heading to the store and buying one. It’s been a while since I updated that portion of my wardrobe,” Karen said.
I created a group text with Penny and Tris.
Hey, ladies. Gran has something planned today that involves water, and I didn’t bring a suit. Neither did Karen. Do either of you have one we could borrow? - Sam
Tris was the first to reply.
Absolutely! I’ve invested in an extensive selection since moving here. I love having access to a pool.
Penny’s text came through seconds later.
I’m not much of a swimmer, but I do have a couple of bathing suits. You’re both welcome to see if either of them fit.
“Okay, so they both said we could go through their selections and see if anything fits,” I told Karen.
“Cool.” She finished the remnants of her coffee and moved to the sink to rinse out her mug. “Are they coming here, or are we
