ina nodded her head as she listened to Tristan go over her duties. It excited her to work and provide for herself and her grandmother. No longer did she have to rely on someone else for all her financial needs.

"Do you have any questions?" Tristan asked.

She hated how his eyes always stared at her like he was looking into her soul. She wondered what he would say once he found it. Would he find she was broken beyond repair?

Nina took another sip of her water.

Nina wanted to keep her head on straight. She didn't have time to care what he thought about her. She was only his employee. Nothing more. She needed to think about taking care of her grandmother just like she had taken care of her when she was younger. The only thing she did regret was leaving her grandmother alone to marry her ex-husband. She reminded herself that she needed to keep him at a distance and keep it strictly professional.

"Where's Nadia? Is she doing better since the incident at Walmart?"

"She's at a private school. She's doing a bit better. I had to have a talk with her."

"Why did she run away in the first place?" she asked, drinking the last sip of water.

He sighed. "She saw another child with their mother and she wanted to know why her mother wasn't in her life. I got frustrated and yelled at her, causing her to run away."

"That must be tough for both of you. Where is her mother?"

Tristan's frown deepened.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"She left us when Nadia was one year old. She cheated on me and ran off with the other guy."

"I'm so sorry." She resisted the urge to reach over and grab his hand.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

They stared at each other until Tristan cleared his throat and Nina glanced away.

"I can wait to call the moving trucks so that you can ask your grandma if she would like to move in," he said, standing up to his full height.

"Thank you. I'll call you to let you know what she says," she said, standing up too.

"I'll walk you to the door."

Tristan walked her down the hallway that had even more expensive African paintings on the wall. Nina reminded herself to ask if he liked art.

They stopped at the wooden door and looked at one another again. As Nina stared at him, he stirred something inside her that she didn't like. She didn't know what it was but she wanted it to stop.

"I should be on my way," she said, stepping out onto the porch.

Nina saw that Greg was already waiting for her beside a red mustang.

"Remember to call me," he said, stepping out onto the porch.

"I will. Thanks again for this opportunity."

Tristan gave her a nod and a slight wave of his hand.

Nina turned away and walked towards Greg, but her skin prickled when she continued to feel Tristan's eyes on her.

Nina was dropped off by Greg. She had to endure his loud singing in the car but she didn't mind since she sang along right with him. She was comfortable around Greg and she could see them becoming friends.

Nina headed inside her grandmother's home. She smelled the different spices and the smell of fried chicken entered her senses. Her mouth instantly watered. Nina made her way into the kitchen to find her grandmother indeed cooking chicken.

Nina also saw that she had made homemade macaroni and cheese, which was now in the oven baking.

"It smells so good in here," Nina said, reaching for a piece of chicken to only have her hand slapped away.

Nina laughed.

"You're cooking all my favorites," she said, reaching for some cornbread to get another swat on her hand.

"Go set the table. The food is almost done," Grandma said, trying not to smile at Nina.

"Yes, ma'am."

Nina sat down the plates, glasses, and utensils on the table. She got the glass pitcher of lemonade and filled their glasses before placing them on the table.

Minutes later, they were well way into eating their dinner. Nina noticed her grandmother was quieter than usual when she tried to talk to her.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" Nina asked, chewing on a piece of chicken.

"Nothing's wrong, baby," she said, picking at her macaroni and cheese.

"Does it have something to do with your doctor's appointment?"

Nina had noticed her Grandmother had been going to a lot of appointments this past couple of weeks and it had been a constant worrier for her.

Nina was met with silence. Nina's stomach dropped as dread spread over her.

"Grandma, what's going on?"

Her grandmother looked away from her plate to stare at Nina.

"I'm dying."

Nina grabbed the edge of the table. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she was having a hard time getting oxygen into her lungs.

Nina laughed nervously. "Grandma, your joke isn't funny. Tell me what's really going on."

Her grandmother placed the fork down and reached for her hands. She grabbed Nina's hands tightly inside her own.

"I have stage 4 breast cancer. It has spread to my other organs," she said, squeezing Nina's hands even tighter.

Nina shook her head. It couldn't be true. Her grandmother would be okay. There was no way she was going to lose the most important person in her life.

Nina stood up out of her seat. Vomit burned the back of her throat but she held it back. Nina's hands shook so she gripped the back of the chair.

"You're lying to me. You're just telling me some cruel joke, right?"

Her grandmother sighed. Nina noticed how defeated and tired she looked.

"Baby, sit down. I need you to hear me out."

Nina sat down and only noticed she was crying when wetness hit her cheeks.

"I don't have much time left."

"What about treatments-"

"I quit them a long time ago. The doctor said there was only a twenty percent survival rate if I continued chemotherapy."

Nina clenched her hands into fists.

"There's still a chance," she said, wiping away her tears.

Grandma shook her head. "I want to live the rest of my life in comfort."

Nina whimpered as the tears left her and her body convulsed.

This couldn't be happening. Her grandmother was a constant light in her life. She had believed in her when no one else would.

Nina cried harder when she felt the warmth of her grandmother surrounding her in a hug.

What was she going to do without her?

"It's going to be okay," she said.

Nina was sure that losing her only parental figure who had taught her how to be the woman she was today was not going to be okay.

***

Hey, guys. What do you think of what Tristan told Nina about his failed relationship? What do you think about Nina's grandma being terminally ill? Let me know what you think in the comment section below. If you enjoyed this chapter don't forget to comment, vote, and share :).