Page 45 of The Waiting Game

When the door closed softly behind her, Felix tucked the tie bar into the box and closed it.

“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked Jonah.

He frowned, the cover of the fire pit in his hand. “Why would I mind? It’s the perfect gift for you.”

Felix shrugged. “Cho was your grandfather.”

Though he knew Jonah thought of him as a father more than anything.

Jonah waved that off. “He was practically yours too. And I have plenty of other things to remember him by.”

He held up his hand, showing off the signet ring with the initials YC that he often wore on his pinkie.

“Besides, that style suits you better.” Jonah resumed stacking logs.

Felix nodded.

Lim Cho had worn beautifully tailored suits to all his client meetings, but his style had been a little more traditional. Jonah preferred a more modern look.

“I just wanted to be sure,” Felix said.

“You belong in this family,” Jonah insisted. “You know that.”

“I know.”

No place had ever felt more like home than this place. No family had felt more like he belonged to it than this one.

No one had ever loved him more.

Jonah could see Felix was working himself into a mope so he stood and patted Felix’s shoulder before he picked up a stack of dishes. “C’mon, help me carry the dishes in and see what’s taking Grandma so long.”

“Okay.”

Inside, Jonah set the stack on the counter, frowning at the cake sitting there and the half-open refrigerator. “What the hell? Where did she go? And why did she leave that open?”

A frown furrowed Felix’s brow. “I don’t know. That’s weird.”

Jonah skirted around the counter and gasped, dropping to his knees. “Grandma!”

She lay sprawled on the floor in an awkward position, her eyes closed, a bump already forming on her head.

Hand trembling, he reached for her, gently shaking her shoulder, and felt Felix drop down beside him, his phone already out.

“Should I call 9-1-1?” he asked.

“Please,” Jonah croaked.

She stirred a little, blinking woozily, and his heart started beating again.

“Grandma,” he said. “Hey, what happened?”

Beside him, he could hear Felix speaking to someone on the phone. “No, she’s conscious. But she’s not really responding much.”

Grandma Ji-min groaned. “I don’t know,” she said in Korean, trying to sit up.

“No, no lie still,” Jonah replied in English. “You need to have someone look at you before you get up.”

“She’s speaking!” Felix said. He got up, passing a hand over Jonah’s hair in comfort as he walked by. “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll get the gate open and make sure the door is unlocked.”

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