Logan
I stood beside the fridge watching Gloria manoeuvre the kitchen utensils with shaking hands, it was obvious she couldn't take the quietness from her granddaughter's room any longer and had to do something.
I couldn't help but wonder how Annabelle was able to persuade Emily to open the door. Seeing how frustrated Gloria was, I moved to her and gently took hold of the pan. "Let me."
She nodded and let it go, wiping her hands on her blue apron.
"Are you sure you can do it?" She asked, sniffing and rubbing her nose with her elbow. It was clear she couldn't hold back the tears.
I shook my head. "I've never cooked in my life, but that is why you are here right? So what am I going to add?" I inquired, staring at the properly mixed and boiled combination of butter, Cocoa powder, sugar and milk.
"You need to stir in the peanut butter, oat and vanilla." She moved the mentioned content before me and handed over a spoon for stirring.
"What I'm I making again?" I asked, stirring the ingredients into the saucepan.
"No-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies or biscuits as you English people call it," she said, with a smile that touched her cheeks and made her once dull eyes shone like the stars in the night cloud.
She spread a baking sheet and took hold of the pan from my hands. With care, she dropped teaspoons full of the mixture on the baking sheet lined with wax paper.
"Let's leave that to cool off." She pushed a stool forward and took her seat, "I'm really sorry for calling you in."
"That's not a problem, I'm sure she's going to snap out of it soon," I said, taking a stool beside her.
"I heard about the fire, I hope there was not much damage and no one got hurt?" She asked, changing the topic to an even sour one.
I watched her pressed her hands together as I narrated the incident and Annabelle being involved but sparing the details of Laura starting the fire.
Mother kept Laura's involvement and Annabelle's unconscious from the press. But telling Gloria seemed right, somehow I knew she could help with the recent nightmares.
She stood from the stool and slowly moved to the biscuits. "My mum once told me; to get someone to open up you need to also do the same."
"You need to let her feel safe in telling you about it," she said, wiping her hands with a towel and taking her seat, "You need to try."
I scratched the top of my left brow, it was the same thing grandma said and the same thing she did when I had my boyish nightmares.
It's a tell for a tell.
Seconds after our little discussion, I walked out of the kitchen ready to check on Annabelle and Emily like I did every five minutes, but the rolling sound of wheels stopped me on my tracks.
I felt Gloria behind me and turned to see her staring at her granddaughter being wheeled my Annabelle.
"I'm sorry Grandma." Was the first thing that popped out of her lips.
She wheeled herself forward and stopped right in front of Gloria. "I'm sorry for getting you scared," she whispered. Her eyes were red and swollen, she met my mine and immediately dropped them to the floor.
I watched Gloria knelt in front of the little girl and wrapped her in an embrace.
"You never do that again, promise me? Promise me you are never going to scare your old grandma again."
Emily placed her hands on her chest and whispered her response. She got a nod that could only be impersonated by a military persona.
"Grandma, can I talk to Logan for a minute please?" She asked, staring up at me with pleading eyes.
"I will just go clean up your room," Gloria replied.
I covered her path placing my hands on her shoulders. "I can get someone to do that tomorrow, you look exhausted."
Without arguing she nodded, moved to the sofa and dropped on it, mouthing a 'thanks' as she did.
I turned to Annabelle who I assumed was curious of everything but she moved past me and sat beside Gloria not meeting my gaze.
***
I stared in disbelief as she recounted the reasons for her action. It was unbelievable and I never thought anyone still had such opinion over another, especially a kid.
"I'm sorry tor breaking your stuff, I'm really sorry."
"This is not my stuff, they are all yours. All in your name and Gloria's," I said, pushing her apology aside while seated before her in a wooden chair next to the window.
"But you are still going to replace them, I wish there is something I can do to repay you."
I smiled, to me, it was funny her ready she was to take responsibility of her action, but her clouded eyes that shone underneath the light from the bulb in the music room showed she meant her words.
"Ok, this is how you can pay me." I watched her leaned forward.
"First you need to stay away from your friend."
She nodded.
"Next you need to stop staying out late."
"Is 7:00 pm enough?"
"It's ok for now, we might increase it as you grow older and finally-"
"You sound like my Dad, this is all weak payment but go on," she said, signalling with her hands.
I sighed knowing what my last request would be, she has been avoiding it for as long as ever.
***
"We are heading to my apartment here in London," I explained to Gloria who wouldn't hear of my plans. She requested we slept over but the rooms won't be enough since Emily was using the spare and my apartment wasn't even an hour off.
"It's past midnight, just spend the night here."
"It's not a problem, I will call the moment we get there ok?"
She exhaled with eyes yearning for sleep as they opened and shut with much effort. "Ok, you won't listen anyway."
I turned to Annabelle who already tucked Emily in bed and had on to her purse beside me. We said our goodbyes and headed for the car.
***
"Bloody hell!" I yelled, hitting the flat tyre with my foot.
I needed no one to spill it to me, heaven was not on my side and it was clear.
Barely five minutes after leaving Gloria's the tyre of the car got busted by a glass.
I turned around with my hands on my waist as I looked around the quiet road that had bushies at either side.
I heard Annabelle opened her side of the door and dropped with the torchlight of her phone on.
She moved to my side and whistled. "Do you have extra tires?" She inquired, squatting and shining her touch on the tyre that was as flat as a slapper.
"Yes," I said, hope humming in my heart.
"Can you change a tyre?" She asked, with furrowed brows as she stared at me.
"No," I said, letting out a sigh of defeat and running my hands through my hair.
I watched her smiled and shook her head.
She stood, placed both hands on her waist and peeped down the road.
Feeling my cheeks red with embarrassment at my inability to change a tire, I asked the most stupid questions I could think of, "Can you change a tyre?"
I watched her burst into laughter. The sound of her giggling awoke the night and my heart as I watched her shook with so much energy I couldn't help but smile.
I immediately replaced my smile with a frown. Seeing my seriousness she covered her mouth.
Fully composed she turned to me. "We are fucked, I know nothing about tyres."
***
Author note.
Hey guys... Another chapter, tell me what you think and drop your votes.