Page 169 of Tempting Miles
I release a slow breath before answering.
“I honestly appreciate it so much. You have no idea how grateful Miles and I are for everything you’ve done for us,” I say. “But when Millie and I finally leave this hospital, all I really want to do is to lay in my bed with my baby and my…” I pause for a second, my lips twitching.
My husband.
But that's what Miles already feels like to me.
“My Miles,” I finish softly. “And just enjoying being a family of three for a little while.”
Understanding dawns on them.
“Of course, of course. We don’t mean to overwhelm you,” Joss hurries to say. “We just want you both to feel loved.”
“And fed,” Granny adds. “Because Lord knows neither of you will remember to cook.”
That pulls a laugh out of me.
“Would it be alright if we just stocked your fridge and freezer instead?” Granny asks. “Maybe clean up the house before you get there?”
Her voice sounds thinner than usual, weaker somehow, and it catches me off guard.
“Of course,” I say warmly. “We’d love that. Thank you. Really.”
“Well then,” Mami says as she claps her hands, “now that that’s settled, Joss and I are going to say good morning to our granddaughter.”
Mami beams saying the wordgranddaughter.
I watch the two of them leave toward the NICU before my gaze lands on the insulated bags they left on a small table near the door.
Definitely homemade food.
Granny slowly makes her way to the couch Miles has been sleeping on, her pace so unsteady that it puts me on alert.
I’ve never seen her move like that before.
Granny has always felt indestructible to me. Like one of those ancient oak trees that survive every storm.
“Hey, Granny. Is everything okay?” I ask in a soft voice as I lower myself into a chair beside the couch.
“Not really, dear,” she admits with a long sigh as she leans back against the cushions.
My stomach knots. Have we all been so focused on Mille that no one noticed Granny getting worse?
Guilt crashes into me hard and fast.
“How so, Granny?” I ask carefully, taking her hand between mine.
It’s freezing.
Granny smiles faintly when she notices my reaction.
“You see, dear, when I chose this life, I always knew the woods would eventually ask for something in return,” she says quietly before closing her eyes. “When I gained my powers, I had to give up something really important to me.”
I frown, trying to understand what she means.
I know Granny reads tarot, makes potions, and believes in things most people would laugh at, but I never knew any of it came with a sacrifice.
“Granny?” I call softly.
