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“Hello, Ms. Ross?” a woman’s voice greeted me smoothly over the line.
“Yes, this is her,” I responded.
“This is Cecilia from Sunrise Homes.”
It was from Grandma Margaret’s retirement home. My mind immediately whirled to what could possibly have happened as my heart rate began to climb up.
“We regret to inform you that there has been a problem at our facility,” Cecilia said in an apologetic yet professional tone. “A water pipe has burst that caused flooding in some of the rooms, including your grandmother’s, I believe. We will need to relocate our residents for the meantime while repair and renovations are underway.”
“Oh,” I said, the breath leaving my lungs in a relieved exhale. “Sorry, I’m just relieved that it’s nothing serious. Is Grandma Margaret alright?”
“I’m sorry to have worried you unnecessarily but yes, Mrs. Ross is perfectly fine,” Cecilia replied. “In fact, she’s playing backgammon with Mrs. Howard right now. It’s just that we have to make sure she has a place to go as her room is completely uninhabitable and there are no vacancies in the other rooms.”
I smiled at that.At least Grandma is alright.
“That’s alright. She can stay with me while the pipe is being fixed,” I told Cecilia. “I’m living in her old house right now so Grandma would probably love to stay there for the meantime. I just need to fix her room up for a bit before I drop by to get her.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Ross. Just let us know when you will be coming by.”
I thanked her again before I hung up. I looked out into the distance, where the rain had slowed down to a mere drizzle.
I slipped back into the café and smiled at Oliver, who was looking worriedly at me. “That was from the retirement home Grandma Margaret is staying in,” I explained to him. “A water pipe burst and flooded Grandma’s room so they called me because they need to relocate her while they fix things up.”
“Is she alright?” he asked.
I nodded. “She’s fine and is playing backgammon with her closest friend there as we speak. I just need to fix up her room before I go and get her.”
“Do you need any help?”
I shook my head and smiled at him. “Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly. Besides, I keep the spare bedroom clean so it wouldn’t take much before I bring Grandma back home.”
I looked out the window and found that the rain had already stopped. I looked at my cup and found that it was mostly empty.
For some reason, the fact that I would have to say goodbye to Oliver soon made me a little sad.
* * *
“Careful, Grandma. Watch your step.”
I carefully guided Grandma over to the couch on the veranda, while Buddy hovered anxiously around us. In her hands, she lovingly cradled the familiar urn that contained Grandpa Frederick’s ashes. She had it with her in her room in the retirement home because she couldn’t bear to be separated from him for long.
“We will go through this life together,” she resolutely told us five years ago. “Wherever I go, he will go, too. He’ll see the things that I will see.”
Buddy looked at Grandma with worry in his clear brown eyes as he followed her. When she finally sat down, he laid his light brown head on her knees and looked balefully at her.
Grandma Margaret laughed and gave him a treat from her pocket. “You both don’t need to hover around me like that. I’m just old. I’m not made of glass.”
“Buddy was probably just trying to get a treat out of you,” I teased her. “And he succeeded. You spoil him.”
“Well, that’s what we old folks are here for,” she cackled, petting his head affectionately. She looked around the house as a wistful smile lit up her features. “It’s good to be back here. You didn’t really change a lot of things, eh?”
I flushed a little at that. “I planned on fixing up the veranda but I guess I got a little busy.”
“Hmm, I know you well, darling girl,” she smiled at me knowingly. “You like having things the way you’re used to.”
“That, too.”
She sighed. “Your grandfather was the one who built this veranda. Did I tell you about it?”
