Page 64 of Chosen Road

“He does love you, Amber,” Ruby continued. “I’m not telling you what to do. I don’t know enough facts to even offer an opinion. But a blind man could see that he loves you and I know what it is to live separated from the one that you love. It’s got to be killing him.”

Her words struck me deeply. I knew I was hurting my boys. I knew it. I knew I had to get out of my own way, but I didn’t know how, and I didn’t want to hurt either of them any further. That’s what I thought. What I said, was something else. “You think it’s not killing me?” I hissed.

She took half a step back but pushed further. “Then, why, Amber? Why deny yourselves?”

I looked away, disgusted with myself, and furious with her for trying to back me into a corner. “In this, Ruby, you need to mind your own business. You’re right, you don’t know the facts.” My emotions back under control, my voice flat, I warned her, “And I don’t owe them to you.”

Ruby twisted away and pulled up a chair beside Yiayia, but not before I saw the hurt on her face. I sat down on the other side, hoping we could get back on track.

“The doctor’s been in?” Ruby asked flatly.

“Yes.” I glanced at her warily and cleared my throat. “She has a hairline fracture in her right arm and a possible concussion. They still need to run more tests, and they are concerned about her right hip.”

“I hope it’s not her hip,” she whispered.

I’d heard the stories, we both had, about elderly people going into the hospital with a broken hip and never coming out. Being stuck in a hospital bed did funny things to people, and the elderly were particularly susceptible.

“Just pray that it’s not her hip, and that her concussion isn’t bad, so we can bring her home,” I murmured. My mind would not allow me to consider any other alternative.

“I think she should come home to her own house. Now is not the time to move her,” Ruby said.

I knew this would shake her, the timing of it was horrendous, but Ruby needed and deserved to start her life with Vander. All the years I had with Angus, Ruby looked after Yiayia. This was her time.

“Ruby, don’t fall down any rabbit holes. You’ve waited a long time to be with Vander and you are doing the right thing.”

Her eyes snapped. “Look after your own problems, Amber. You’re hardly in a position to be giving me advice.”

Oh, no. A surge of anxiety fried my brain. This is why I didn’t talk. I’m no good with the people who are closest to me. I wracked my brain for the words I needed to explain, but Ruby’s attention whipped back to Yiayia.

“Yiayia?” she urged excitedly.

“Don’t look so worried, poulaki mou. Yiayia is strong. I not gonna die today. Or tomorrow either.”

Ruby laughed and Yiayia continued, “Don’t talk to your sister like that poulaki mou. You don’t know the whole story.”

“You’re right. I don’t,” she said flatly, then turned to me. “I’m sorry I spoke to you like that, Amber.”

I smiled tentatively, her sorry didn’t quite reach her eyes, and I knew I had been too abrupt with her. She smiled back, but that didn’t quite reach her eyes either.

“What the doctor said?” Yiayia asked me.

I placed my hand on Yiayia’s leg, to comfort her or me, I wasn’t sure. “Broken arm and concussion. They want to take a closer look at your hip and then they’ll tell us when we can take you home.”

“Okay, koukla mou. Don’t worry. Yiayia is strong.”

Yiayia turned to Ruby. “You don’t put your life on hold for me no more, koukla. I be okay. I want you to be okay. Life is adventure, koritzaki mou, and life is happening whether you scared or brave. The world is in your little hands! Don’t throw it away.”

Her voice sounded scratchy, and Ruby reached for the water to give her a sip.

Life is happening whether you scared or brave.

I was definitely scared. Had been for a good, long while.

Yiayia turned to me. “I have headache, koukla. Gus is not a perfect man, he is only human, but he is a good man. Don’t lose that.”

I smiled tightly, holding onto my calm with both hands and all my teeth. The truth was, Gus was as close to perfect as a man could get. He deserved better than me, especially the way I was right now. “Okay, Yiayia.”

“Don’t say ‘okay’ and not do anything about it. I see more than you think I do. I know more than you all tell me.” She tried to wave away my next words and gasped at the pain in her arm. I jumped up, alarmed.

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