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“That brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
Gabi couldn’t stop thinking about Aisha, couldn’t stop the deepening ache in her heart.
“Gabriela.”
“Sorry, yes.”
“The farmhouse is in a trust fund in your name. There is an allowance of twenty thousand pounds a year which will cover the upkeep of the place should you wish to keep it, and twenty thousand pounds for you to choose what to do with.”
If Gabi couldn’t be with Aisha, she didn’t want to live at the farmhouse without Nana. “I can’t—”
Nana raised her hand. “I’m too old to listen to your objections. The rest of my assets you will inherit when I die.”
“What about Dad?”
“Hugo will be fine. He agreed to the fund after your mum died, and he doesn’t need anything that I can give him.”
“Even knowing that his dad isn’t who he thought he was?” Gabi asked.
Nana sighed. “It’s not easy, is it?”
Gabi shook her head. Her dad should know, but it wasn’t for her to tell him, and he wasn’t her main concern right now. Nana was. “Will you be safe here, with Juan?”
“Yes, cariño. He has his house and I have the apartment. I am not the daughter of a senior guard commander anymore. We can enjoy each other’s company for the years we might have together.”
“What about Pablo?”
“We are just friends. There would never have been anything more for either of us. He loved his wife too much, and I hadn’t let go of Juan.”
Thoughts of leaving without Nana brought a lump to her throat, and she struggled to swallow past it. She rubbed her eyes to stop the tears. “I don’t want to be in England if you’re here. I’m happy for you and Juan, but I would miss you too much. And I can’t stay here if Aisha marries him. I can’t see her with him.”
“Do you think that’s what she really wants?”
Gabi noted the tremble in her hand as she sipped the juice. “My heart says no, but my head is confused.”
Nana smiled. “Then you need to find out.” She patted Gabi’s hand and then held it. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.” She leaned back in the seat.
Gabi would find a way. She couldn’t just walk up to Aisha’s front door, but there was the school, the one place she could go where they could talk for a short while.
“Would you like to visit your grandpa?” Nana asked.
Nana’s happiness cloaked the ache in Gabi’s heart. “Yes.” She still couldn’t work out where Juan fitted into her life, and her feelings, but with time, maybe that would change. “So, what are you going to do about Dad?” she asked.
Nana sighed. “I need to think it through. It’s something I can’t take back once I’ve said it. And it’s something I need to do in person.”
“He has a right to know?”
“Maybe, cariño.” Nana finished her juice. “It’s not that simple. Would you be able to cope with me not telling him just yet?”
“Can I be the keeper of secrets?” Gabi shook her head. She wasn’t planning to see him any time soon, and if Nana wasn’t going back to England, she couldn’t imagine when, if ever, she might see him again.
Nana frowned. “Yes, I suppose. I’ve never thought of myself as someone who keeps secrets so much as judging when the time is right to pass on information. Hearts are fragile, and as you know, it’s not a nice experience when they break.”
“I can let you be the judge of when it’s the right time,” Gabi said.
Nana patted Gabi’s arm. “Thank you, cariño.” She picked up her plate and started towards the kitchen. “By the way, Matías was asking after you since you didn’t go to the workshop last week. I’m sure your uncle would enjoy your company, and maybe you could pop into Juan’s for a cup of tea.”
An uncle and a grandpa, who’d have thought it? It went some way to explaining her connection with Matías and their mutual love of making jewellery. It would make their business relationship more interesting. Weird didn’t describe how she felt. At least she wasn’t as alone in the world as she’d imagined. She needed to let this new reality settle, because despite having just found them, she would be leaving them all behind. She followed Nana into the kitchen and drew her into a hug. “Thank you. For everything. I’m going to the school to talk to Aisha. No matter what happens, I have to leave here. I just hope she will come with me.”
