Love Revealed: A BWWM Sweet Romance Novel (12 page)

"Is grandma sick again?" Adeen asked.

Taking her by the hand and kneeling down, Guy told her that yes, her grandma was ill and in hospital again and that it would be a good idea to get out there to see her. So he grabbed the radio and called Darla.

"Darla, come in, this is Guy, over."

"This is Darla, over."

"Darla, Monika called," he didn't want to drag it out, so he just told her straight, "your mom is in the hospital again, we need to get over there as soon as we can, over."

"Oh, okay. I'm starting the engine now. I'm on my way. Over and out."

By the time Darla got back to the island, Adeen and Guy were packed and ready.
 

"What are you two doing packed? I'll go back to the mainland myself. No sense you two coming along with me."

"But mom.." Adeen said, but Guy cut her off.

"Darla can I talk to you for a minute."

He took Darla down towards the dock. Holding her hands he brought her in close.

"Darla, I'm afraid it sounds like its much more serious this time. Monika said the doctors have done everything they can this time and that they don't believe she has long left. They said it would be best for everyone to get there now."

"Oh. So, it's actually time. Okay, you two should come along then."

"Adeen put most of your things in your bags and she took most of her clothes, I'll take a small bag with me too. You get yourself back in the boat and we'll be down to you in a minute."

He walked away from her and Darla felt like the world was coming apart. She felt light as a feather and before she knew it she had fainted. Guy had just been turning with his hands full when he saw her collapse.

"Moma!" Adeen shouted.
 

They both ran down to her and Guy lifted her head onto his lap as he sank to the ground beside her.
 

"Adeen, run to the kitchen and get your mom a glass of water. Walk back now, be careful, she will be okay, she just had a little fright thats all."

"Okay. Moma I'll be right back."

"Darla, Darla, are you awake?” Guy gently stroked her face, her forehead was clammy as was the back of her neck. She started moving her jaw and then licking her lips, she was coming around.
 

Darla mumbled under her breath words Guy couldn't understand. She began to fidget and guy helped her sit up. Adeen was coming towards them with the water.

"Here moma, here's some water to drink."

"Baby?"

"Yes, it's Adeeen moma, you fainted. Here, have some water."

Darla's hands were all shaky and Adeen helped the glass to her mouth, she supped a bit of water and then some more. She turned her head slightly and seeing Guy there, a smile began to form.
 

"You doing okay now?" Guy asked her.

"Hmm, yeah, I just suddenly felt like my legs had been pulled out from underneath me, my hands got all stiff and my skin got all prickly and that was it."

"Ah yes, it was just the sudden stress from hearing about your mom. Nothing more to worry about, do you want to wait a while to sail on the boat?"

"No, I'm fine now. We should get going, Monika and Chuck will be worrying. Thanks for getting me back on my feet you two."

Darla stood up and gave the two of them a joint hug. Guy went back up the yard and locked the cabin, he took the luggage down to the boat and they departed.
 

They arrived at the mainland around two in the afternoon. They picked up his car and drove straight to the hospital. Darla had called Monika to let them know they were on their way. Their mother was still the same, unconscious, but still breathing. They made it to the hospital after an hour and a half and everyone was happy to see each other again. Darla's mother was lying in the bed, her hands above the blanket down by her sides. Her mother had not wanted any life saving measures, so there were no breathing machines or anything else, just fluids and a heart monitor.
 

Monika sat down with Guy and Darla in the corridor while Chuck took Adeen to get something to drink in the cafeteria.
 

"So, they say she could pass away at any moment. Or it could take a week. I've called the others but they wont get here until tomorrow, it's hard for them, I know, coming from so far, the expense involved, but they want to be here."

Darla’s mind was a flurry, she was thinking of her daughter. Should she be here at this time when they knew her mothers death was imminent? It's nothing gruesome for her to see, it's just part of life. Darla decided to talk with her sister.
 

"Hey Monika, do you think I should get Guy to take Adeen back to the house? I don't know if its right her being here?"

"No, I think it's fine she's here. She can comfort mom by her bedside, if she can hear or feel, it would be nice for her to know her granddaughter is here. My kids aren't coming back yet. We called them just before they left, so their dad will keep them until the weekend. We’ll just have to play it by ear. I don't think they should be separated from it just because they are kids."

"Okay, thanks sis. That helps a lot."

Darla turned to Guy. She gave him a hug.
 

"I'm glad you are here you know. I know you didn't get to meet my mother, I'm going to be sad about that. I think she would have really liked you. But it's nice to have you here now."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to meet her either. We have time, you can tell me all about her and what she was like as a mother."

"Oh, we've got some stories." Monika said laughing.
 

"What you laughing about Moni?" Chuck asked as he walked back with Adeen.

"Oh, just telling Guy he's in for a bellyful of laughs when we get going on the mama stories."

Chuck gave a hearty laugh in response and sat Adeen down beside them all.
 

"Can I go in and see her?" Adeen asked.

"Sure, sweetheart. She can't see you and we don't know if she can hear you, but you could talk to her if you like." Darla said.
 

The others stayed outside while Adeen went in to the room. She placed her bottle of soda on the back table and walked towards her grandma. She loved her grandma, she was always around as she was growing up, always taking out the hairstyle that her mom had done and redoing it. Her grandma always said Darla never did the braids tight enough. She had taught adeen and her cousins how to braid each others hair and they had practised a lot, finally winning her approval and receiving a cake as a special treat. That was another bonus of having a grandma around, she was always baking. She baked the best chocolate cakes, chocolate inside, chocolate in the middle and chocolate on top. The best. Her mom could bake too, but it was never as good as grandmas. She had her grandmas recipe and she thought to herself, if grandma dies, she will learn how to bake it as good as she did and then she will teach her children and her grandchildren.
 

Adeen, sat on the chair beside the bed and reached for her grandmothers hand, it was warm like always. She wore perfume, Adeen didn't know the name, but it smelt like flowers and she loved the scent. She leant forward and ran her fingers through her grandmas hair.
 

"Hey grandma. It's Adeen. We are here because the doctors say you are very sick. I hope you can hear me. I just wanted to come in and sit with you and let you know we all love you. Mom has met a man called Guy, he's a writer. He is staying on his parents island out in the bay for the summer. I think they are dating now, I'm not sure, but they seem happy together. I really like him anyhow. He is going to help me write my summer story. I hope I can be a great writer like him someday and tell good stories. You always had good stories grandma. I wish you could tell me one now. Okay, I’m just going to sit here and hold your hand for a while. I love you."

Adeen had been standing by the door as she heard her daughters words. They moved her to tears, she was such a sweet kid. Darla didn't think she could have sat in the room with her dying grandma at that age. It was also nice to hear that she liked Guy, she hadn't really approached the subject with her yet, so to hear her say she liked him lifted an unknown weight from her shoulders.
 

Darla spoke with the nurse and she allowed two of them to stay overnight with their mother. Chuck said Monika should stay with Darla. Darla took Guy aside and told him she was going to stay the night and that if he wanted he could go back to her place and stay with Adeen and her brother.
 

"Yes, I'll stay with them, is there anything from the car you want? Your toiletry bag? A change of clothes?"

"Sure that would be great. I'll get the keys for you guys."

Guy went out to the car and came back with Darlas things. He gave her a big hug before he left and Adeen gave her grandmother a kiss on the forehead and received a huge hug from her mother and sister. Chuck drove off to the house in his car and Guy and Adeen left in his.
 

"So, are you going to be okay with just me and your uncle Chuck tonight?"

"Yeah, we can have some pizza and some ice cream. Maybe watch a few movies?"

"Sure, why not!"

They drove on and Guy was remembering his own grandparents. They seemed like nice people and neither of his parents had had too many bad things to say about their childhoods, but they were not the involved grandparent like Adeen was lucky to have. When his grandparents died, although he had been sad, especially when seeing how upset his parents had been, but his grandparents were these distant people so he hadn’t felt their loss and his understanding of death was different then as a child.
 

When they got to the house Chuck came out to help them carry the luggage in.
 

"So, I guess you could sleep in Darla's room, that'd make the most sense. I'm on the pull out sofa. You wanna take Darlas things upstairs and I’ll put Adeen's stuff away."

"That sounds good."

"No snooping." Adeen said with a smile.
 

"I'd never!" he replied back.
 

Walking into Darla's room it did feel like he was snooping though. He left her suitcase on the floor by her closet. He looked around. It was a simply decorated room, white walls, a wooden dresser with various make up and beauty and hair products. Lots of photos on top of the chest of drawers. He walked over to have a look. Photo's of Adeen as a tiny baby, he could hardly believe she had been so tiny at one point. Photos of Darla and her siblings playing in a paddling pool being sprayed by a hose by their father. Lots of photos of someone with a loving family and friends. It made him happy to see these intimate moments of hers. Adeen came into the room.

"Did you see the one where I'm a baby? Aren't I cute?"

"You are very cute. I can't believe you were that small once. Look at your tiny little fingers!"

"Uncle Chuck says he's going to order food, what would you like? Indian, pizza, Chinese? He can order from different places if you want?"

"I'll have pizza if thats what you want? Pepperoni for me and some garlic bread too. I'm pretty hungry actually, I hadn't realised until now."

"Me too. I'm going to have a pineapple, ham and cheese pizza and garlic bread too."

"Pineapple, well you certainly do take after your mother in the bizarre eating habits."

"Pineapple is delicious on pizza. You will try it and love it,” she ran out of the room to tell Chuck their orders, Guy laughed at her trying to get him to eat her strange foods like her mother.
 

Their food arrived and they all settled on the sofa to watch some movies. Adeen had chosen and she had picked Mrs. Doughtfire and Toy Story 3. Guy had seen the first one but not Toy Story. When the first movie was over, which Guy and the others had laughed merrily along to, Darla called to check in for the night.
 

"Everything going okay?" she asked him.

"Yes, all is in order here ma'am. No misbehaving. We are filled up with junk food and have laughed our socks off. One more movie and then bed time for us all I think, it's been a long day. How's things there."

"Still the same, no change at all. The nurses brought in two cots for us, so we are just done eating and we are going to sleep shortly."

"Moma, can you give grandma another kiss for me please."

"Yes, I will sweetheart. Goodnight and I'll see you in the morning."

Chuck shouted goodnight and she hung up.

After the second movie was over, Adeen was sent up to bed. The two men cleared up and said goodnight to each other. Chuck was going to leave early in the morning to pick up his siblings from the airport, so Guy was going to meet them at the hospital with Adeen around ten. Guy poked his head in to Adeen's room to say goodnight. Her room which she shared with her cousins, had a bunk bed and a single bed in the corner. Adeen was on the single bed.
 

"I didn't decorate the room. My cousins chose this pink and yellow colour. I'd love wallpaper with all the planets on it. Do you think someday I could have that, even if I'm a grown up?"

"You can decorate how you like when you are a grownup, so if thats what you want, you could get that."

"Thanks for staying with me tonight. See you in the morning Guy."

“`no problem, goodnight Adeen, sweet dreams."

Guy cleaned up before bed and slipping between Darla's sheets all he could hope for, was some day to be here with Darla.
 

Adeen found Guy sitting on the sofa eating a bowl of sugary cereal watching some cartoons, when she came downstairs in the morning.

"Good morning sleepyhead, did I wake you?"

"No, uncle Chucks car did,” she said as she yawned.
 

"You want me to make you some cereal? I’m going in to make coffee and toast now, these cereals are not filling at all!"

Adeen laughed, "I usually have two bowls."

They went to the kitchen together and Guy made some toast for them both, Adeen liked cherry jam on her bread and Guy had apricot marmalade.