𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧

11.

❦

VEA woke up to a phone ringing very loudly, she went to try and silence the ringing but jahseh's arms were wrapped tightly around her. she tapped his arm a couple of times and still asleep he let go of her and she grabbed the phone that was ringing. it was hers.

her mother was calling.

she declined the call and went to lay back down but it started ringing again and jahseh groaned behind her. "answer it or turn it off."

she sighed and picked it up again, contemplating for a second, she pressed the green button. "hello?"

"did i wake you up?" she heard from the other side. she sounded like she had been crying.

"yeah," she murmered, getting out of the bed. "but it's fine. what do you need?" she put on a pair of sweatpants and jahseh's jacket that she always wore, leaving the room so she wouldn't disrupt his sleep anymore.

"your grandmother is in the hospital. she's really sick and she's been asking to see you. if you could come back to new york for a couple of days to see her-"

"of course i can." vea rushed. she walked to stokeley's door and knocked, she heard a quiet 'come in' and she walked in. "one second mom. stokeley my grandmother's in the hospital. i gotta see her, i'm going to new york." she told him and left the room before anything else could be said.

"vea we might lose her this time." her mom started to cry on the other end of the phone.

"don't talk like that mama. i'll be there tomorrow and we'll go see her. she's gonna be alright." vea said. she didn't believe that, but she had to be strong for her mother. if her grandmother was calling for her it was the end. and there was nothing that any of them could do about it but hold her hand and guide her to the other side. her mother said goodbye and hung up the phone.

stokeley opened his room door and stood in the door frame. "at least let me pay for your flight."

"i have some money saved up. i can-"

he interrupted her. "please."

she sighed and nodded, going into her room before he could see her cry. she undressed herself back to her sleep attire and crawled back into the bed with jahseh, tucking herself into his chest. she cried silently and she didn't even notice his breathing speed up signaling that he was awake.

"what's wrong, princess?" he asked tiredly.

she sighed and cried harder, pushing her face into his chest further.

"you gotta talk to me baby. i can't help if you don't talk to me." he ran his hand over her head and urged her to look up at him.

"i'm going to new york tomorrow. my grandma's in the hospital, and i don't think she's gonna make it." she cried and he just pulled her back into a hug. he didn't say anything, he just held her close and allowed her to cry.

❦

"I'M glad we'll see you, but it sucks why you'll be here." tyla said and vea nodded. she was getting the last few things she needed for her trip home. she'd only be there for two days so there wasn't much she needed and she was leaving amalia in florida.

"yeah. i'm gonna need a coffee shop day after this." vea chuckled, despite herself.

tyla nodded in understanding. "i love you so much bro. i'm sorry you even have to go through something like this."

"i love you too ty." she looked up to see jahseh walking into her room. he was taking her to the airport and she got an early flight so she'd be able to make visiting hours as soon as she landed.

"you ready to go?" he asked and grabbed her suitcase. she just grabbed her charger and walked out of the room.

downstairs, stokeley was waiting at the door for her. "be safe, and stay strong. call me if you need me." he hugged her and kissed her forehead. "i love you vea."

"i love you too stokeley."

❦

BACK in her old room, vea got out of her airport clothes and drove her mom's car to the hospital. she parked the car and took a second to breathe and compose her thoughts before she went in.

she was preparing herself for the worst, because her grandmother told her that she'd be the first person she wanted to see in her last moments. that was the last time she got sick, vea was fourteen. she thought she'd never have to endure the pain of wondering again, but just four years later, here they were.

"breathe." she murmered to herself before getting out of the car. she walked into the hospital and to the reception desk. "i'm here to see celine grey."

"you must be vea. she's room 418, she's been waiting for you." the lady said sympathetically.

"thank you." is all vea said and she walked toward the elevator. she got on and pressed the fourth floor. the silence was agonizing, she didn't know what she'd be walking into. the elevator dinged and she walked to the room, she paused before she opened the door.

when she walked into the room she felt like she was going to burst into tears. her heart fell into her stomach at her grandmother laying there, hooked up to all of the machines. she took a deep breath before calling her attention.

"vea?" the lady said weakly and opened her eyes. "baby i missed you so much."

she walked to the bed and pulled a chair to sit down. "i missed you more grandma. how are you feeling?"

celine sighed. "grandma's not doing too good baby. doctor's are saying it's a miracle i'm still here." her breathing labored. "i wrote a letter for you, it explains everything okay? i love you so much my girl."

vea's eyes watered as she looked into her grandmother's glossy ones. "what's wrong grandma? i thought-" she paused to wipe tears. "i thought they fixed it."

"heart conditions don't just disappear, vea. i been sick for a long time. and i'm old baby, it's not much more surgeries i wanna endure." she paused to breathe and she grabbed vea's hand in her frail one. "do what makes you happy baby. don't let your mama take that away from you, you hear me? you get out of new york and you stay gone. i love you sweet girl, i love you so much."

her breathing started to slow down and the machine monitoring her heart did as well.

"i love you grandma." vea started to cry harder, knowing this was the end.

"it's my time vea," she took in a deep breath. "we'll meet again, you know?"

vea nodded, clutching her grandma's hand. it felt like she was almost trying to squeeze more life into her. just a couple more years so she could live to see her have kids and get married. just a little longer.

"i love you." vea cried and celine smiled at her, taking in what seemed to be a very painful breath. the machine started going loud for a minute, the hand in hers going weak. two nurses ran in and they stopped in their tracks seeing vea. she sobbed, holding onto her grandmother's hand, she could no longer feel the pulse in her wrist.

her grandmother was gone.

edited 1250 words.