Page 61 of Chosen Road

Chapter 19: 911

Gus

“It’s just me, Yiayia,” I announced as I let myself in and closed the front door behind me. With Ruby and Jace at Vander’s, I didn’t have to wait until they left to go out for breakfast like I usually did. Yiayia was up by six o’clock most mornings and it was almost seven-thirty.

Two months after Amber left, Yiayia took the bus to my house, let herself in, and waited for me until I got home from work. Walking into the house and seeing her perched on the couch, I near tumbled right back out the door from the shock.

“Fuck me, Yiayia! What are you doing here?” I stepped back with my hand on my chest, my surprise evidenced by the curse word that burst from my mouth.

“Don’t go having another heart attack, agori mou,” she reprimanded. “And you speak to your mother with that mouth?”

I grinned. “As you know, my mother is dead, so no.” I threw my wallet and keys on the counter and walked towards her. Leaning down, I kissed her cheek.

She pursed her lips, but her eyes twinkled. “She dead means she hear you. You want your mother to hear those words come out of your mouth?”

I laughed out loud. It felt so damn good to be treated like a son. “She’s heard worse from me,” I admitted. “You want a cup of tea, Yiayia?” I headed for the kitchen to fill the kettle.

“Hm,” she hummed, then peered at me. “Why you no come see Yiayia?”

I took a deep breath and turned around. I was not looking forward to this conversation. “I don’t want to make Amber uncomfortable.”

“Come when she not there,” she challenged, raising her eyebrows at me.

“I didn’t want to put Ruby in a bad place either. You know those two are thick as thieves.”

“I hear excuses but no good reason.” She studied me and finally I relented.

I leaned my hip against the breakfast bar and met her eyes. “I did a terrible thing to Amber, Yiayia. I didn’t think you’d want to see me.”

She studied me quietly for several moments, her face serious, then pushed herself up off the couch. Without breaking eye contact, she plodded slowly towards me. I prepared myself for the verbal lashing I deserved. She didn’t stop or speak until she was right in front of me.

I looked down at her, my regret plain, anticipating the worst. She reached up and motioned for me to bend closer. I leaned towards her, ready to take whatever she decided to dish out. She raised her tiny, wrinkled hand and lay it gently against my cheek. “You are my grandson and I miss you.”

I pressed my lips together and gave her a tight nod. Her forgiveness, her love, was more than I deserved.

“I want you to come see me. Often. Maybe you come have breakfast with me Sunday when Ruby and Jace go out, hm? Is good idea?”

“It’s a great idea, Yiayia,” I whispered, astonished by her grace.

She smiled then pinched my cheek hard. “Bravo. You no stay away like this again. We are a family and we gonna get through this.”

She released me and I stood up, smiling at her sadly. “I’m not sure that’s possible, Yiayia. And I don’t think Amber is going to like this arrangement.”

“God is helping us, pouli mou. And we no going to tell her.”

I went to say something else, but she cut me off. “I know my Amber. I know how she suffer. I see how she hide from you these past two years. Don’t give up on her.”

We had breakfast at least twice a month since then, and I often dropped by during the day or on my lunch break to check in on her.

“Yiayia?” I called out again, not wanting her to be frightened if she was still upstairs.

Setting my wallet and keys down, I headed for the family room so I could yell up the stairs to her.

I noticed one of her delicate side tables overturned, and my blood ran cold. The first thing I thought was that someone had broken in. I ran for the stairs, but only two steps in I caught sight of her tiny feet and stopped dead in my tracks.

“No, oh no no no,” I chanted as I hunkered down beside her.

I grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. She was cool to the touch, but her pulse was strong. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and dialed 911 while grabbing a blanket off the couch to cover her.

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