‹ Prequel: My 'Cool' Grandpa
My Un-'Cool' Half-Brother
The Barbecue
*Adrienne's POV*
Frankie had been discharged two days ago and Rosie and Jack were having a barbecue to celebrate and to thank us for helping. We kept insisting it had been no trouble, but they were so happy at having her back they wouldn't listen.
I smiled as I watched Frankie and Jimmy running around the garden, chasing Mike's new dog, Luke. The familiar throbbing ache in my head and pain in my chest returned and my whole body tensed. I thought back to the letter I had received weeks ago. It was sitting in my drawer, unopened. I knew exactly what it said.
*Rosie's POV*
I sighed as I drank a glass of water, washing out the taste of stale food and general unpleasantness.
I started cleaning up. In four hours, everyone would arrive for the barbecue Jack had decided to hold. I liked the idea, a little, but it wasn't my kind of thing.
Suddenly the room started to spin and I quickly sat down and out my head between my knees.
I took slow, deep breaths and tried to calm myself. I heard the door.
"Rosie? I'm back!" I listened as footsteps came closer and closer, then stopped.
"Rosie?" I felt someone sit beside me.
"Are you OK?" I lifted my head and turned to look at Jack.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just had a dizzy spell," I smiled at him, my head still spinning.
Jack frowned and looked at me oddly. "Hmm, go and have a lie down. I'll get everything ready, OK? No arguments."
I stood up and continued tidying stuff away. I heard Jack sigh.
"Oh no you don't."
I felt arms around my waist and my feet were suddenly in the air. I shrieked.
"Jack! Put me down!" He ignored me and carried me upstairs. "Put me down!"
He kicked open the door and placed me on the bed. I abruptly put my hand over my mouth and ran into the bathroom, vomiting neatly into the toilet.
"Ooops." I heard Jack whisper apologetically from the bedroom. I walked back in and sat down on the bed next to Jack. He handed me a glass of water.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"It's OK, now let me help."
Jack's eyes flashed triumphantly.
"No, no, no! You've been sick, so you have to lie down and take a nap. I will get everything ready and you will rest." He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. I sighed and lay down. He was right. I did need a nap.
* * *
"Rosie? Rosie?"
I opened my eyes and saw Jack standing over me.
"What's up?" I yawned, sitting up slowly.
"Everyone's here."
"Shit, um, I'm going to have a quick shower and get changed, I'll be downstairs in two minutes."
Jack smiled and kissed me. "Okey-dokey." He got up and went out. "See you in five."
*Adrienne's POV*
I breathed in the cool night air and sat on one of the chairs. Jimmy came running up to me.
"Ganma, where be Mommy?"
"I think your Mommy is upstairs getting ready, shall we go and find Daddy?"
Jimmy nodded frantically and held out his arms. I picked him up and winced as I settled his weight on my hip.
"Ganma? You otay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled a I carried Jimmy across the garden to where Jack was standing with Mike by the barbecue.
"Hey, Grandma," Jack smiled and kissed my cheek. He took a step back. "Are you OK?"
"Yes, I'm just feeling a bit funny."
"Oh? So is Rosie, she was sick earlier and she was feeling dizzy. Maybe there's a bug going round."
I smiled at my grandson's childish naivety. I knew that what was wrong with Rosie was completely different to what was wrong with me.
Frankie had been discharged two days ago and Rosie and Jack were having a barbecue to celebrate and to thank us for helping. We kept insisting it had been no trouble, but they were so happy at having her back they wouldn't listen.
I smiled as I watched Frankie and Jimmy running around the garden, chasing Mike's new dog, Luke. The familiar throbbing ache in my head and pain in my chest returned and my whole body tensed. I thought back to the letter I had received weeks ago. It was sitting in my drawer, unopened. I knew exactly what it said.
*Rosie's POV*
I sighed as I drank a glass of water, washing out the taste of stale food and general unpleasantness.
I started cleaning up. In four hours, everyone would arrive for the barbecue Jack had decided to hold. I liked the idea, a little, but it wasn't my kind of thing.
Suddenly the room started to spin and I quickly sat down and out my head between my knees.
I took slow, deep breaths and tried to calm myself. I heard the door.
"Rosie? I'm back!" I listened as footsteps came closer and closer, then stopped.
"Rosie?" I felt someone sit beside me.
"Are you OK?" I lifted my head and turned to look at Jack.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just had a dizzy spell," I smiled at him, my head still spinning.
Jack frowned and looked at me oddly. "Hmm, go and have a lie down. I'll get everything ready, OK? No arguments."
I stood up and continued tidying stuff away. I heard Jack sigh.
"Oh no you don't."
I felt arms around my waist and my feet were suddenly in the air. I shrieked.
"Jack! Put me down!" He ignored me and carried me upstairs. "Put me down!"
He kicked open the door and placed me on the bed. I abruptly put my hand over my mouth and ran into the bathroom, vomiting neatly into the toilet.
"Ooops." I heard Jack whisper apologetically from the bedroom. I walked back in and sat down on the bed next to Jack. He handed me a glass of water.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"It's OK, now let me help."
Jack's eyes flashed triumphantly.
"No, no, no! You've been sick, so you have to lie down and take a nap. I will get everything ready and you will rest." He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. I sighed and lay down. He was right. I did need a nap.
* * *
"Rosie? Rosie?"
I opened my eyes and saw Jack standing over me.
"What's up?" I yawned, sitting up slowly.
"Everyone's here."
"Shit, um, I'm going to have a quick shower and get changed, I'll be downstairs in two minutes."
Jack smiled and kissed me. "Okey-dokey." He got up and went out. "See you in five."
*Adrienne's POV*
I breathed in the cool night air and sat on one of the chairs. Jimmy came running up to me.
"Ganma, where be Mommy?"
"I think your Mommy is upstairs getting ready, shall we go and find Daddy?"
Jimmy nodded frantically and held out his arms. I picked him up and winced as I settled his weight on my hip.
"Ganma? You otay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled a I carried Jimmy across the garden to where Jack was standing with Mike by the barbecue.
"Hey, Grandma," Jack smiled and kissed my cheek. He took a step back. "Are you OK?"
"Yes, I'm just feeling a bit funny."
"Oh? So is Rosie, she was sick earlier and she was feeling dizzy. Maybe there's a bug going round."
I smiled at my grandson's childish naivety. I knew that what was wrong with Rosie was completely different to what was wrong with me.