She claps her hands. “That’s fantastic,” she says. The bell rings, and I watch Sofia line up. Only when she walks inside do I turn and walk back to the truck.
It takes me ten minutes to get to work, which is another reason I chose the school. Parking in the underground parking, I get out and walk over to the elevator. I press the button for the tenth floor when I step in all by myself.
When the elevator doors open again, the wall-to-wall windows on this floor fill the area with light. "Morning, Sara," I say to the receptionist when I walk in and head down the gray carpet to my little office. I put my purse on my desk, then go to the communal kitchen and put my bag in the fridge. Grabbing a mug, I fill it with coffee and walk back to my office.
I sit down and turn on my computer, seeing the company logo boot up right away. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in business in three years instead of the usual four, then took additional courses to graduate and pass the CPA. It was lots of sleepless nights and lots of sacrifices and tears on both sides. Thinking back now, I don’t know how I did it. I think it was the sheer determination mixed with the fact I couldn’t let my grandfather down again.
Luckily, the company where I was doing my internship was expanding their office, so they reached out and offered me a job I couldn’t refuse. I could start after dropping Sofia off at school, and I could leave at four.
A picture of me graduating with Sofia in my arms and my grandfather beside me sits on my desk. I check my emails, making sure my clients have sent me all the papers I need in order to close the files for the month. I don’t even realize how much time has passed when the phone rings. “Hello." I put the phone to my ear, looking at my screen.
"Is this Hazel Bennett?" the male voice asks, and I don’t know why everything in me stops moving.
"This is she,” I say, listening to a voice I’ve never heard before. A voice that will change my life.
"This is Dr. Shepard.” He says his name, and everything around me feels like it’s spinning.
"I’m sorry." I find the words lodged in my throat. “I don’t know a Dr. Shepard."
I hear him breathe out. “I’m a friend and doctor to your grandfather, Kaine Johnson,” he says, and my stomach sinks.
"Is my grandfather okay?" I ask, the panic apparent in my voice.
"I’m so sorry to do this to you over the phone," he says, and the tears start. “Your grandfather has passed away."
"What?" I ask in a whisper. “When?" I wipe the tear off my cheek. “I spoke to him two days ago, and he was fine."
"He had stage four small cell carcinoma,” he says in a soothing voice.
"I had no idea.” My heart breaks in my chest, knowing that, besides Sofia, my last family member I have is gone. "He never said anything."
“He’s been sick a while, but he’s been struggling for the past six months," he says, filling me in, all I can do is sit there numb.“He was admitted into the hospital last week for complications, and we found out it had spread."
I close my eyes, and all I can see is my grandfather and his big smile. I put my hand in front of my mouth. “Was anyone with him when he passed away?" I ask, and it takes him a couple of minutes to answer me.
"He passed in his sleep," he says, and I try to hide my sob. “He had a DNR, and he also refused to let anyone see him like that. The funeral home has picked him up, and he’s being cremated this evening." I don’t say anything because I can’t. I can’t say anything. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Hazel," Dr. Shepard says. “He loved you and Sofia with everything he had."
"Thank you,” I say, “for letting me know."
"If you have any questions or if you need anything …" He gives me his number, which I don’t take down. Hanging up the phone, I’m staring at my desk when someone walks by my office and notices me crying.
"Are you okay?" Caitlyn says, and I just look at her because the shock is still settling in.
"My grandfather passed away,” I say, and she puts her hand to her mouth.
"Oh my gosh, is there anything I can do?" she asks.
I look at her, saying the words I said I would never say. "I have to go home."
Chapter 3
Reed
"Keep your head up." I looked around at my squad as they all nodded at me. We walked down the street, and rubble was everywhere. "Eyes open," I told them as the five of us walked side by side. We took in the shattered storefronts.