“She was a couple of kilometres from town.”It dawned on me a second too late that I should have lied.Made something up until she’d calmed down enough to hear the truth.Because this news did not sit well with Maya.She’d already been pale with worry, but now?Now she was practically translucent.
“Oh my god.”She sobbed, her shoulders shaking with each gasp.“How could I let this happen?”
I reached out to wrap her in my arms again, but she twisted out of my embrace.
She buried her face in her hands, her breath coming in rasping gulps.“Damn you, Alan Rickman.You and your angelic voice.”
I blinked.“What the hell does Alan Rickman have to do with any of this?”
She dragged in another ragged breath before blowing it out gradually.“I’m going to lie down,” she murmured.“Promise you’ll stay here?On the couch.Keep Nana safe.Stay on the couch.”
She didn’t wait for an answer before fleeing the apartment, but I’d stay regardless.I headed to the hall closet to find a pillow and a blanket.If it made her feel better, I’d sleep on Nana’s couch every night.
Then again, Nana was a grown woman.She wasn’t a prisoner.Tonight had been a fluke.She went for a walk.She forgot her coat.It started snowing.The end.Why had Maya been so upset?
I was still trying to wrap my head around Maya’s reaction when my phone buzzed with an incoming message.
Greg
Call me
Damn it.I’d forgotten to let him know I was back.
I hit dial as I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Where the hell are you?”He didn’t bother with pleasantries.
“At Nana’s.She’s home.She’s in bed.”
There was a beat of silence before his muffled voice came through the line.“She’s home!Start calling everyone.”
What?How organized had this search been?
“What happened?”Greg demanded.“Tell me everything.”
“I found her walking down the highway.I should have called you sooner.”
“Jesus.”His relief was palpable through the phone.“And she’s okay?”
“Yes, she’s good.Doctor Madison checked her out.She’ll be fine after some rest.”
Greg exhaled.“And Maya?”
I hesitated.“She’s freaking out.She thinks this is all her fault.”
Greg made a low noise in his throat.“Andie was telling me Maya feels responsible for Nana.As in, she thinks she has to take care of her.To repay her.”
“Repay her?”I frowned.“For what?”
“For everything Nana’s done for her.”Greg sighed.“For some reason, Maya feels she should be Nana’s caretaker.”
That made no sense.Or did it?
Nana’s memory issues.The doctor’s concerns.Maya’s panic tonight.I had assumed Maya had been helping Nana.That she was a concerned friend.But now I see she’d taken on the role of granddaughter because Nana’s actual grandson had his head up his ass.
Crap!I was such a moron.
“I need to go.We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
