Beyond the Broken Angel

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Ajay frowned in thought, looking from the ring to Giselle's smiling face and back again before his eyes widened. "No way—you got married?" he asked, keeping his voice hushed. When Giselle nodded he smiled and gave her a hug. "Congratulations. Wait," he pulled back, "actually, I take that back. No congratulations for you because I wasn't invited to the wedding," he joked.

Giselle playfully slapped his arm. "Oh, shut up. If I could've had you there, I would've." Her eyes caught on a nurse over Ajay's shoulder, and she suddenly remembered the situation at hand. "Oh, how's Mrs. Jo? Is she doing well?"

Ajay shrugged. "Dunno. We haven't been back to see her, yet, and her husband hasn't told us anything. Mrs. Sophie is back there now."

"But do you think she's alright?"

"Yeah, she's probably fine," Ajay said. "I've known her all my life. She's tough."

"Good," Giselle said. "Do you think—" she stopped talking when she spotted Sophie entering the waiting room, her dark eyes downcast and red as she relied heavily on her walker.

Hester was upon the woman in seconds. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Is Jo alright?"

Sophie shook her head. "She's—she's fine, but she keeps talking funny."

"'Talking funny?'" Anandi echoed. "What is she talking about?"

"She's talking like she is going to die soon—kept telling me about how much my friendship over the years means to her and whatnot." She shook her head, sniffling. "It's unsettling."

"Don't listen to her, Soph," Hester said, surprising Giselle with the sympathy in her voice. "She's only frightened, I'm sure. You know what hospitals mean for old people," she joked.

Sophie nodded. "Maybe you're right." She looked to Anandi. "You're up next."

Anandi nodded, reaching out to Ajay, who quickly left Giselle's side and took his grandmother's hand, assisting her on the walk to Jo's room.

Giselle turned to Selene once they were gone. "You don't think she's really dying, do you?" Giselle wasn't close to the woman, having only spoken to her the few times she saw her over the years, but she was still worried. Jo had always been so nice to her, making her feel like she was family.

"I hope not," Selene said. There was an unmistakable fear in her eyes. She glanced over to Hester as she spoke with Sophie and lowered her voice. "That woman has always been like a mother to me," she told Giselle. "She has always looked out for me over the years, and would always take my side in any argument Mum and I got into." She breathed out a laugh. "You know, I used to wish she were my actual mother when I was little." The space between her eyebrows creased as she looked down at her hands, playing with her rings.

"I'm sure she's fine, Selene," Giselle comforted the woman. "Ajay said she's a tough old bird."

Selene laughed. "That she is."

They eventually sat down, waiting impatiently for their turn to go back and see Jo.

Death was on Giselle's mind the entire time, consuming her thoughts in a dark cloud of fear, because death reminded her of the future she had yet to face.

Of the war that was to come.

She was quick to try and reclaim her thoughts when they tried to drift into the territory she desperately tried to keep away from.

Luckily, the fight wasn't long. Anandi and Ajay appeared a few minutes later, effectively distracting her.

"What'd she say to you?" Hester asked, Selene helping her to stand.