Van sighed finally then she said, "five minutes." She hasn't opened the café officially she'd simply been doing some cleaning when he came in.
She’d needed someone to talk to last night and she'd called her best friend and told her all of her woes. Rella understood her more than anyone else does, more than Jake ever did and she'd lend her strength last night even though they're far apart. And another wave of sobs took over and she cried and cried until her voice was gone.
Van flopped down onto one of the empty chairs across from him and levelled him a glared.
"I know you have a lot of questions." he started carefully. "I'm sorry I lied and kept you in the dark but I didn't want to get anybody's hopes up until I was certain."
Van eyed him coolly,"So you knew who I was all along?"
Ash nodded grimly. "Well not at first. When I first saw you I was shocked, you looked so much like aunt Perla, I mean the resemblance is striking grandma thought so too."
"Grandma, aunt Perla..?"
"I'm your cousin." he said it like it should've been obvious. Van simply nodded. "Grandpa is a hard man to be around, he's impossible to please but he's got his moments, when you get to know him..."
"Did he ask you to solicit on his behalf?" Van cut him short.
"I...no I came because of grandma." his expression was pained. "She's in the hospital."
Van’s heart sank. She didn't want to appear like she cared but damn it she did care.
"She suffered a stroke after you left."
"How is she doing now?"
"She's stable. The doctor said if she suffers another attack like this one it'll be the end."
Emotion surged within Van and she felt fear raw and palpable that for a moment she sat there saying nothing, her throat had closed up.
"She wants to see you." Ash told her. "I hope you don't hate her for what happened to your parents."
Van looked away. She doesn't hate her but she won't forgive her either.
Van's heart broke all over again when she saw her grandmother's ashen face. She was back home in her bedroom because apparently she'd bullied the doctor into discharging her.
"Thank you for coming. Grandma will be ecstatic to see you." Ash told her.
Van stood frozen by the open door and then she swallowed her fear and in no time she found herself standing at the foot of the bed. Ash had since left the room and it was quiet.
"My dear you came." the old woman croaked suddenly as she opened her eyes which was full of life and joy that made Van’s throat close up again.
Her grandmother frowned. "What's the matter, do you hurt somewhere?"
Wordlessly, Van shook her head too late she realised that she was crying and then before she could stop herself Van threw her arms around the old woman a sob rose from her chest, it was like watching her father all over again as he slowly faded away and Van couldn’t bear the thought of losing someone else she cared about.
"Do stay Van will you? I've spoken to your grandfather and he has no objections to it."
Van pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. "I can't leave my brother all alone."
"Then bring him that way the two of you can stay here where you rightfully belong." her grandmother's eyes brightened with eagerness and expectancy that Van found herself agreeing to avoid breaking her heart once more or worse risk her suffering another stroke. When she's all better, Van would decide what to do then, for now, they'd just stay in the mansion
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