Chapter 18
1198 Words
Asia was woken by a knock on her bedroom door.
Not a polite knock.
The kind of knock that announced the person on the other side had absolutely no intention of waiting for permission.
The door swung open.
"Get up."
Asia groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.
"No."
Her grandmother walked into the room carrying a shopping bag and a level of determination that immediately told Asia she was losing this battle.
"Yes."
"It's too early."
"It's almost nine."
"Exactly."
Her grandmother rolled her eyes.
"You're becoming lazy."
Asia peeked out from beneath the blanket.
"I came here to rest."
"You came here because you've been working yourself into the ground."
The older woman marched toward the bed.
"And today, you're spending time with your family."
Asia immediately sat up.
That sounded suspicious.
"What are you planning?"
Her grandmother smiled.The smile alone made Asia nervous.
"Nothing."
"That's a lie."
"Just get dressed “.
The answer only confirmed her suspicions.
An hour later, Asia finally understood why her grandmother had been acting strangely.
The entire Richmore family was preparing for a picnic.
Not a small picnic.
A grand Richmore family picnic.
Which apparently meant enough food to feed a small army and enough relatives to fill an entire event hall.
The estate buzzed with activity as Children ran across the lawn.
Servants loaded baskets into vehicles.
Her uncles argued loudly over who was bringing what.
Meanwhile, her grandmother stood in the middle of the chaos directing everyone like a military commander.
Asia couldn't stop laughing.
"You planned all this?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
The older woman looked at her as though the answer was obvious.
"Because you're here."
Something warm settled inside Asia's chest.
Asia rushed back upstairs to get ready , she stood in front of the mirror while deciding what to wear.
She eventually chose a soft floral dress that reached just below her knees.
Her grandmother entered carrying a small velvet box.
"I almost forgot."
Asia turned.
"What is it?"
The older woman opened the box carefully.
Inside rested a delicate necklace.
Asia's breath caught as she turned to get a better view of this necklace.
"Grandpa's gift to you?"
Her grandmother smiled softly.
"No."
She lifted the necklace.
"Your father's."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The memory alone was enough to tighten Asia's throat.
Her father had loved giving gifts.The necklace had been one of his favorites.
"He always said you'd wear it one day."
Asia swallowed.
"I miss him."
"So do I."
The older woman's voice softened.
"Come here."
Asia stepped closer.
Her grandmother moved behind her and gently lifted her hair.
The room fell silent.
Asia was instantly shocked.
"Grandma?"
No answer.
Only silence.
A strange silence.
Slowly, the older woman reached forward.Her fingertips brushed the skin near Asia's collarbone.
The scar.
Asia froze,She had completely forgotten it was visible.
The dress neckline sat slightly lower than usual just enough to reveal the scar on her collar.
"What is this?"
The question came out barely above a whisper.
Asia closed her eyes trying to force a smile.
"It's nothing."
Her grandmother's reflection appeared in the mirror.
The look on her face immediately told Asia the answer wasn't accepted.
"Asia."
"It's just a scar."
The older woman turned her around.
The sadness in her eyes made something twist painfully inside Asia.
"What happened to you?"
Asia looked away.
Her grandmother took a step closer.
"What happened my darling…?"
For weeks, asia had avoided talking about what has happened that night.
She had pushed forward.
Focused on work.
Focused on anything except what had happened.
But standing here, with her grandmother looking at her like that, the walls she'd spent months building suddenly felt fragile.
Her voice came out quietly.
"It’s a bullet wound…I wa…s shot”.she struggled to voice out the words.
The older woman's face drained of color.
For a second, she simply stared as though she had heard the words but couldn't quite believe them.
"You were what?"
"I was shot."
The room became impossibly still.
The older woman lowered herself onto the edge of the bed,Because her legs suddenly seemed unable to hold her.
"When?"
"A few months ago."
"And nobody told me?"
Asia lowered her gaze.
"We didn't want to worry you."
A bitter laugh escaped her grandmother.
"Worry me?"Tears immediately filled the older woman's eyes.
"My granddaughter was shot and nobody told me?"
The heartbreak in her voice hurt more than any accusation ever could.
Asia moved closer.
"Grandma…"
"No."
The older woman grabbed her hand.
"You went through all of that alone?"The older woman's eyes slowly moved downward.
Toward Asia's stomach.
A terrible realization crossed her face.
"The baby..."
Asia's breathing hitched.
For weeks, she had refused to say it out loud.
Refused to give the pain a voice but here, surrounded by people who loved her, the truth finally escaped.
"I lost the baby."
The words shattered whatever strength she had left.
A tear slid down her cheek.
Then another.
"I never got to hold my child."
Her voice broke.
"I never got to meet them."
Weeks of pretending.
Weeks of carrying everything alone.
All of it came rushing back at once.
Her grandmother pulled her into a tight embrace immediately.
Without question.
Asia buried her face against the older woman's shoulder.
And for the first time since the miscarriage, she cried.
But because someone had finally given her permission to stop being strong.
"My poor girl," her grandmother whispered.
The words broke her all over again.
And for several minutes, neither of them moved,they simply held onto each other.
Asia pulled her self slowly from the embrace to take a closer look at the older woman.
“We…still have a picnic to attend”.
“It can be canceled my darling if that’s what you want…”the older woman asked.
“No…what I want is to be with you and everyone at the picnic right now”.she said with a smile underneath all that crying.
“Fine”
They both linked arms and headed down the stairs to join the rest of the Richmore family.
An hour later, they had arrived at the grand and spacious Richmore estate garden.
It was even more beautiful than she had remembered.
There was so much to eat as laughter filled the air.Asia was occupied by her nieces who tagged along her all through the picnic.
That evening, after everyone returned home, her grandmother knocked softly on her bedroom door.
This time she carried an old wooden box.
"I think it's time you had this."
Asia frowned.
"What is it?"
The older woman placed it in her hands.
"It belonged to your father”.
Asia looked down at the worn wood,then slowly lifted the lid.
Inside were old photographs,letters and documents.
These were pieces of a man she had loved and lost.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she picked up the first photograph.
A small smile touched her lips.
Then she turned to the next one.
And the next.
Completely unaware that buried somewhere among those forgotten memories was a clue that would eventually change far more than she could imagine.
- Writer
