Patrick reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “Actually, Dad …”
“They died,” I croak.
Jane shares a worried look with her husband. “Oh, Cassie. I’ll get that coffee sorted and we’ll have a chat.”
I nod. Patrick leads me to the couch while his father sits back in his chair.
The silence is awkward until Jane returns with the coffee.
She takes a seat and gives me a small smile.
Patrick leans in. “Tell them.”
I nod. “A couple of weeks after you left, we were in a car accident. I was the only survivor.”
Jane gasps.
“I’m so sorry to her that. Your parents were lovely people,” Brian says.
“Cassie was badly hurt.” Patrick squeezes my knee.
Any judgement on Jane’s face is gone. The sympathy in her expression is almost enough to make me cry.
“I broke both my legs and fractured my spine in two places. There were multiple surgeries to put me back together.”
She shakes her head. “I wish we’d known.”
“I moved to Hamilton with my grandmother, and that’s where I am now.”
Jane arches an eyebrow. “That explains Patrick being away so much.”
“There’s something else we need to tell you.” Patrick slips an arm around my shoulders and tugs me close.
I meet his gaze and shake my head. It’s his news for his parents—not my place to tell them. I know he thinks it’ll bring us closer, but I’m really not sure how they’ll take news of grandchild who’s just turned fourteen.
“Cassie was pregnant at the time of the accident.”
Brian and Jane exchange a worried look.
“What I’m trying to tell you is that you have a fourteen-year-old granddaughter.”
That hard look is back in Jane’s eyes.
Brian claps his hands together. “That’s wonderful. Tell us all about her.”
“Her name is Sophie. Cassie spent her pregnancy and Sophie’s early years having surgeries and getting things back on track. But we’re together now and working on what our next move is going to be.”
Jane clears her throat. “Do you have a picture?”
Patrick pulls out his phone. “A ton of them.” He navigates to his Sophie folder and hands her the phone. “Scroll through these.”
She takes it from him and flicks between the photos, Brian watching over her shoulder.
“She’s beautiful.” There’s warmth in her voice now. She must have a lot of questions, but in this moment, she’s looking at Sophie’s picture with all the love of a grandmother. “When can we meet her?”
“Soon,” Patrick says. “We’re working through things now. Cassie’s here to help me find a home for us.”
Her eyes light up. “Really? You’re moving to Auckland?”
