"They are both doing great. Alia and my mum send their greetings." Blaze replied.
Gregory's smile widened. "That's good to know. Please extend my greetings to her and tell her that I've missed her a lot."
"About that, I was hoping if I could see you in person. Alia has been dying all day to speak to you."
"Really..." Gregory turned around to look at his sleeping mom and froze when their eyes t. He peeled the phone from his ear and hurried over to her bed, his gaze softening.
"Mum..." He whispered, stroking her frail, greyish white hair while planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
"You ca," Nana Shawl whispered, her voice a fragile rasp, thin and cracked with weakness. Each breath was laboured with the oxygen tube nestled beneath her nostrils, hissing softly.
Yet, despite it all, she mustered a faint smile—tender and warm enough to lt the heaviness in her son's heart.
"Yes, Mom. I ca as quickly as I could." Gregory kissed her on the forehead. "How are you feeling?"
Nana Shawl's smile widened a little. "Fine, now that you are here."
"Hello... Gregory... Are you still there?" Blaze's voice echoed from the phone.
"Please give a minute, Mom." Gregory gave his mother a pleading gesture and answered the phone.
"I'm here, Blaze. Sorry for that break in communication. I'm currently at the nursing ho with my mother. I don't know if it will be convenient for you to co by. Although, I would really love to speak with my daughter."
"Just send the address. I'll be there shortly."
"Okay... Thanks." Gregory ended the call and quickly texted Blaze with the requested information before returning his attention to his mother. Alwaysreadfromthesource:M|V|LE4MPYR.
"Is Alia coming too?" Nana Shawl asked, her frail hand making a slight gesture toward her son, silently urging him to lift her into a sitting position.
"I'm sorry, mum. I already told you earlier that Alia has left the country for sowhere far away. The whole situation in the family was too depressing for her to stay. We couldn't afford to lose either her or her unborn baby due to her unstable condition. She would only return ho after she had given birth to her child and recovered fully." Gregory explained calmly.
"I understand." Nana Shawl's voice cracked as tears slowly stread down her cheeks.
"Mom..." Gregory sat on the edge of his mother's bed, pulling her closer into his arms
"I just wanted to see her for one very last ti and tell her that I'm sorry for everything. I don't want to leave without saying goodbye to her."
"Stop talking about death, Mom." Gregory rebuked his mother lovingly, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I am not ready to lose you. I don't want you to go without seeing your first-ever great-grandchild. I promise you, if you stay, I will personally fly you to see Alia's baby when he is born."
"I'm sorry, son." Nana Shawls placed her right hand on Gregory's chest. "I failed you and your brothers.
"Mom..."
"Listen first to what I have to say." Nana Shawls cut Gregory off, her frail body trembling with every spoken word.
"Okay." Gregory held back his threatening tears while tenderly wiping his mother's cheek with his handkerchief.
"I know the truth is bitter to hear but I have to say it as it is." Nana Shawls paused briefly, gathering her strength before pouring out her heart to her son.
"I failed… I failed as a mother." Nana Shawls' voice trembled, thick with sorrow.
"I failed your brothers. I spoiled them. I let them have their way, blinded by love and pride. I thought I was protecting them, but I was only feeding the darkness growing inside them."
She paused, breath shallow, eyes misted with regret.
"Now look at what they've beco—monsters. Cold, cruel monsters who lie, cheat, abuse, and harm without remorse. Monsters who take lives without blinking… who tore this family apart with their bare hands."
Gregory lowered his head, his heart breaking as a sob broke through his mother's chest.
"Because I refused to see the truth, your innocent wife died. And in her place… a serpent slithered in, poisoning everything she touched."
"Mum... You're not to bla for my decision to marry Regina."
"But I didn't stop it either even when I sensed sothing was wrong." Nana Shawl's voice dropped to a whisper. "Now my grandchildren are scattered, hiding in fear… and I—I carry the weight of it all. This guilt… It's killing faster than sickness ever could."
Nana Shawls reached for Gregory's cheek, desperation in her eyes as she pleaded with a trembling voice.
"But before I leave this world… I need to make it right. I need to speak with Fiona's daughter. I need to speak with Alia. I just want to see her face and hear her sweet voice. She doesn't even have to co in person. We could speak over the phone in a video call. I need to tell her that I am sorry. Please… let see her. Just once. This is my dying wish."
Gregory nodded his head even though he had no clue how he was going to grant his mother's wish. He knew Alia would break down after speaking with her granny, and he didn't want that to happen.
Thirty minutes later, Blaze arrived at the nursing ho. He t with Gregory outside Nana Shawls' room and they spoke at length.
After a thoughtful conversation between father and son-in-law, Blaze decided it would be up to Alia to make the final decision.
Taking a deep breath, he dialled Alia's number on WhatsApp video call and waited patiently for her to pick up.
After two rings, Alia's angelic smiling face ca into view.
"Hello, sweetie." Blaze's deep, velvety voice rumbled through the phone.
"Hi, honeybun" Alia squealed, giggling as if his voice was tickling her from miles away.
"How are my precious babies doing?" he asked, his eyes shimring with warmth and longing.
"We're aweso!" Alia chirped. "But we miss you soooo much!"
"Just hang in there, my love. Daddy will be ho tomorrow evening—no delays, I promise."
"Yaaaay!" Alia burst into a happy little dance, twirling with arms wide, making Blaze laugh from the other end.
"Hmm… guess who's with right now?" he teased, lowering his voice into a playful hush.
Alia's eyes widened with excitent. "My dad!" she gasped, her voice bubbling with joy.
At that mont, Blaze flipped his cara, and there was Gregory, grinning widely, waving at the screen like a proud little boy seeing his star.
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