The Ultimate Chance-Chapter 110

Imperium hospital.

Avery tapped Gabriel’s shoulder to get his attention. She had just left the doctor’s office and couldn’t believe the sudden development of things.

"Doc says she needs to stay for a bit." She slipped into the waiting chair beside him. "I can’t believe this is happening. One minute, grandma was telling me all about her childhood and the next, she’s coughing blood and being rushed to the ER?"

He hummed in response.

Tilting her body to face him, she pointed a finger at him. "And you seem to be pretty calm about this, as if you had seen it coming or something. Come on, why would anyone be calm about this?"

He averted his gaze. "Grandma hasn’t been of good health for the last few years. Meeting you is the only thing that kept her going."

"What are you saying?" She whispered although she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"She wanted to see her granddaughter if it killed her, and as a bonus she kept praying for, to meet her great grandson. I think she was doing her best pushing herself forward, holding on until her final goal is attained—final burst of strength if you will."

"No." She shook her head in denial. "She will be fine. Maybe it’s something she ate. Grandma will be perfectly fine, and she will walk out of the ER tomorrow to finally meet Angel. I’m sure he would love it too."

"He will. That’s why I asked Damon to bring him over."

"You did what?"

He nodded in the direction of the entrance and she looked over just in time to see Damon walking in with Angel in his arms. Her eyes stung when she looked back at Gabriel. Why was he so certain of this?

He pulled her back to the bench when she stood up. "Grandma has COPD, as you may have discovered after all this." She nodded so he continued solemnly, "well, she signed a living will. If she is ever in a condition where she cannot make decisions about her life and death, she does not wish to be put on life support."

Her tears threatened to fall but the last thing she wanted was for her son to see her as an emotional mess. "So the doctors are holding on temporarily for Angel." She guessed and when he nodded, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

Angel got down from his father’s arms and ran to her as soon as he saw her tears, wordlessly asking what was wrong.

"Nothing’s wrong, baby. Everything will be okay." She picked him up and sat down to hold him in her arms and explain everything as gently as she could. "Earlier I told you I was going to visit my grandma, right?"

He nodded in confusion. Did her grandma live in a hospital?

"Your great grandmother is unwell and was brought here, and she wants to see you. I thought you’d want to play with Aubrey tomorrow so...so..." she couldn’t continue her lie with the serious gaze Angel was suddenly giving her.

"Great grandma is dying?" He asked out of the blue, making the words dry at the tip of her tongue.

Since when did kids know so much, let alone about death? She was stuck between saying no and telling him the truth since he would find out anyway. He was five! Why was he suddenly acting so mature?

"Let’s say hi to grandma, buddy." Damon saved her from the topic by suggesting they go in. She smiled at him in silent thanks and let them go in first. Only one adult was allowed in the room at a time so she waited, watching from the glass door as Damon led the boy to hold his grandmother’s hand.

She could barely open her eyes but she must have felt the tiny hand in hers because she grasped it tightly, her face forming the most beautiful smile.

Damon didn’t keep Angel in the room for too long, knowing she and Gabriel would want to say their goodbyes too. She let Gabriel go first and when it was finally her turn, she could barely keep herself together.

"If I could turn back time, I would. I would find you sooner too and get to know you better." She sniffled. "But that’s only a wish. Nothing can be changed now. The past is long gone." She held Sophie’s hand for a while in a frail attempt to drag time for a bit longer, until she realized how selfish she was being. Sophie didn’t want it to be this way. So she got up on her feet, kissed Sophie’s hand a last time and left the room while she still had the strength to.

"Her biggest regret is not being there for you when you needed someone—anyone—by your side. She wishes she was there even for one day during your pregnancy." Gabriel held her shoulders. "But she was there somehow. She tried to be there."

"What do you mean?" She asked through a sob.

"Five years ago. I admit, the elder brother you were so proud of was too cowardly to take the first step towards making his relationship with his sister better. Grandma talked me into coming to the hospital even while knowing you would turn me away. She was too weak to come herself but she talked me into being there for you and although I failed spectacularly,"

"You didn’t." She interrupted him. "Angel wouldn’t be alive if you didn’t intervene."

She shuddered as a doctor entered the room behind her. She knew what was going to happen but it still broke her heart that it was happening this way. Her view was blocked as they got her off the ventilator and IV, but she wondered whether she was in pain. No matter how much it might have hurt being unable to breathe for those few moments before her body stopped twitching, it was probably better than letting her suffer for years. Most importantly, she had chosen this.

_____

Sophie Vaillant was laid to rest next to her late husband like she had asked in her will. Her death had changed many lives, including that of Avery and Angel, who had only seen her for a brief moment before she breathed her last.

Gabriel still couldn’t believe it when it was all over and he was standing in front of her headstone.

"You can’t believe Avery was there to see her off, can you?" Mina’s gentle voice spoke up behind her, moments before she wrapped her arms around him. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"I’m not even thinking about that right now." He admitted and held her hands in self consolation. He had learned to be open with his feelings to her, so he didn’t hesitate to tell her the truth. "I’m only wondering how I’m going to live on now that she’s gone. She loved me for years despite not being related to me. She never gave me any reason to believe she was not my family and now..."

"You have us." She held his face and looked into his eyes. "Deep down you know that. And we may not make you bake cookies on random afternoons but we love you."

He couldn’t shake off the subtle confession but deciding it was a conversation for another setting, he hugged her. "I love you too."

His words startled her. Forcing herself to believe he meant he loved her and everyone she had included in her statement, she remained plastered on his chest. "I asked Avery to give you the week off. Don’t you dare say no, I know you need it. This is not easy on you. And if you need more time off, go right ahead."

"Avery needs time off more than I do." He argued. It was hard to imagine meeting one’s family right before they die and Avery was bottling all her feelings up. She needed to let go and throwing herself into more work was not helping. She was merely avoiding her feelings and he knew that eventually, they would wreck her.

"She needs her friends and family." He reminded her.

"So do you." She shot back.

"What I need is right here so yay me!" He chuckled and held her by the waist.

She laughed and shut her eyes to embrace him, only to be gently peeled away by him.

"When I called you to tell you about grandma, you were going to say something. Don’t postpone it anymore." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as if it would make him see her eyes more clearly.

"I..." She averted her gaze. "This is not the right time or place. It’s not even something important. It’s about my family and I...can tell you once this is over." She forced a smile but he didn’t buy it.

"When did you start keeping secrets from me, Mina?" He pried.

"I don’t know how you will take this, okay? What if I’m a serial killer with a list of targets and you are on that list?" She exaggerated to get his response.

"Then I’ll have to work my way out of that list. Anything else?" He challenged.

She thought for a while and shook her head. "What if I’m actually from another universe and my purpose on earth is to send you to hell?"

"You’re just being silly at this point, Mina." He kissed her forehead. "Whatever it is, it cannot be as bad as..."

"What if my body somehow didn’t get the memo of the rules we set for our relationship, and you’re going to be a dad as a result?"