Read Online Forever Love (Arabesque) by Celeste O. Norfleet - Free Book Online
Authors: Celeste O. Norfleet
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the nurse’s station shone farther down the corridor. She raised her head to the ceiling and took a deep breath, then released it gradually as a tear slowly slid down the side of her face and down her neck. She was alone and right now she felt it.
Seeing her grandmother so helpless tore her apart. She was once so strong and now her body had betrayed her, but her eyes were still bright and alert. The once vibrant intellectual, who could argue and win any debate, was now rendered nearly speechless.
Gia closed her eyes in regret. Time had always been against her, but right now it was her enemy. She’d lost so many years not having her mother with her. There was no way she could face losing her grandmother, too. She missed so much for so long. She just wished she could have it all back. She turned, glancing back into the room. Her grandmother was sleeping peacefully, just as she had been for the past half hour. The small lamp was on and the room was set in a comfortable muted glow. Gia walked back into the bedroom and picked up her coat and purse, then paused at her grandmother’s bedside. It was time for her to head home.
As Gia walked out of the room she smiled, thinking about the last time she and her grandmother had been together. It was at her condo in the city. They were cooking and eating dinner and, as usual, arguing about politics, something they did often. Her grandmother had an insatiable appetite for political science, and she was her grandmother’s perfect match. She just wished they had had more time.
Gia grew up living with her paternal grandparents and father, between his many unsuccessful marriages. For years she’d been told the worst about her grandmother. It wasn’t until years later that she found out that she’d been lied to all along. After that she promised herself that she’d make it up to her grandmother.
This wasn’t the first time her grandmother had had medical problems, she thought as she continued walking down the empty corridor. The last time was right after grad school. Gia was working in a law office in Boston. Her grandmother had come to visit and then had a heart attack and was hospitalized a day later. The gut-wrenching sight of her grandmother so completely incapacitated tore her apart inside. At her grandmother’s insistence, no one except her doctor knew what had happened. Her grandmother returned to Philadelphia, and a few months later she followed. She’d been at her grandmother’s side ever since.
“Are you okay?” one of the nurses asked, looking up from the computer screen.
Gia turned and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my grandmother. I really appreciate it,” she said.
“You’re very welcome and don’t worry. Your grandmother will be just fine in no time at all. Her physical therapy is doing really well and she’s almost one hundred percent with her speech.”
Gia nodded. “Thank you.”
“Would you like someone to escort you to your car?”
“No, that’s okay, I’ll be fine. You have a good night.”
The nurse nodded and went back to what she was doing on the computer. Gia continued down the corridor to the bank of elevators. She took the elevator down to the first floor and then walked toward the front lobby. As she got close to the main exit, she saw a man sitting in the waiting area. The closer she got to the exit, the more recognizable he was. She stopped a few feet away. She was too stunned to speak. All she could do was shake her head in disbelief. Then one word tumbled from her lips. “Keith.”
He looked up and then quickly stood. “Gia,” he said softly.
“What in the world are you doing here?” she asked, speaking very slowly. “And don’t tell me you just happened to be driving by.”
“This looks wrong. I know that. And I know you’re feeling exposed, but I don’t—”
“Exposed, ya think?” she quickly interrupted. “I can’t believe you. This, my personal life, is none of your
Seeing her grandmother so helpless tore her apart. She was once so strong and now her body had betrayed her, but her eyes were still bright and alert. The once vibrant intellectual, who could argue and win any debate, was now rendered nearly speechless.
Gia closed her eyes in regret. Time had always been against her, but right now it was her enemy. She’d lost so many years not having her mother with her. There was no way she could face losing her grandmother, too. She missed so much for so long. She just wished she could have it all back. She turned, glancing back into the room. Her grandmother was sleeping peacefully, just as she had been for the past half hour. The small lamp was on and the room was set in a comfortable muted glow. Gia walked back into the bedroom and picked up her coat and purse, then paused at her grandmother’s bedside. It was time for her to head home.
As Gia walked out of the room she smiled, thinking about the last time she and her grandmother had been together. It was at her condo in the city. They were cooking and eating dinner and, as usual, arguing about politics, something they did often. Her grandmother had an insatiable appetite for political science, and she was her grandmother’s perfect match. She just wished they had had more time.
Gia grew up living with her paternal grandparents and father, between his many unsuccessful marriages. For years she’d been told the worst about her grandmother. It wasn’t until years later that she found out that she’d been lied to all along. After that she promised herself that she’d make it up to her grandmother.
This wasn’t the first time her grandmother had had medical problems, she thought as she continued walking down the empty corridor. The last time was right after grad school. Gia was working in a law office in Boston. Her grandmother had come to visit and then had a heart attack and was hospitalized a day later. The gut-wrenching sight of her grandmother so completely incapacitated tore her apart inside. At her grandmother’s insistence, no one except her doctor knew what had happened. Her grandmother returned to Philadelphia, and a few months later she followed. She’d been at her grandmother’s side ever since.
“Are you okay?” one of the nurses asked, looking up from the computer screen.
Gia turned and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my grandmother. I really appreciate it,” she said.
“You’re very welcome and don’t worry. Your grandmother will be just fine in no time at all. Her physical therapy is doing really well and she’s almost one hundred percent with her speech.”
Gia nodded. “Thank you.”
“Would you like someone to escort you to your car?”
“No, that’s okay, I’ll be fine. You have a good night.”
The nurse nodded and went back to what she was doing on the computer. Gia continued down the corridor to the bank of elevators. She took the elevator down to the first floor and then walked toward the front lobby. As she got close to the main exit, she saw a man sitting in the waiting area. The closer she got to the exit, the more recognizable he was. She stopped a few feet away. She was too stunned to speak. All she could do was shake her head in disbelief. Then one word tumbled from her lips. “Keith.”
He looked up and then quickly stood. “Gia,” he said softly.
“What in the world are you doing here?” she asked, speaking very slowly. “And don’t tell me you just happened to be driving by.”
“This looks wrong. I know that. And I know you’re feeling exposed, but I don’t—”
“Exposed, ya think?” she quickly interrupted. “I can’t believe you. This, my personal life, is none of your
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