When Veronica erged from the restroom, ten minutes had slipped by unnoticed.
After sharing dinner with Whitney, a sudden longing to visit the nursing ho swept over her. The familiar ache in her chest reminded her of Rose, alone in that sterile place with no mory of the people who loved her.
But the doctor's stern warning echoed in her mind. Familiar faces might trigger distressing episodes for Rose. The risk was too great.
She found herself parked outside the nursing ho's gates, hands gripping the steering wheel as she stared at the building where her grandmother lived as a stranger to herself. After several minutes of internal struggle, she shifted into reverse and drove ho without entering.
The silence of her apartnt felt suffocating. She barricaded herself in her bedroom, drowning her thoughts in spreadsheets and financial projections. Numbers had always been her refuge when emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
The shrill ring of her phone shattered her concentration.
Cullen's na flashed across the screen.
Veronica marked her current calculation with a quick note and let the call go to voicemail. She had no desire to hear his voice or deal with whatever he wanted from her.
Minutes later, the phone rang again. The sa na. The sa persistent demand for her attention.
She ignored it once more.
A text ssage appeared shortly after: "Grandma wants us to go back to Dennis Estate for dinner."
Veronica stared at the ssage for a mont before setting her phone face down on the desk. She wouldn't be manipulated by family obligations, not tonight.
Across town, Cullen stood in his living room, studying his phone with growing frustration. Her silence spoke volus, yet he found himself reluctant to give up entirely.
The sound of small feet thundering down the staircase interrupted his thoughts.
"Dad, you're back!" Sabrina's excited voice filled the space as she launched herself into his arms with the fearless abandon that only children possessed.
He caught her easily, steadying her small fra against his chest. "Mm."
She noticed the phone in his hand, his thumb hovering over the screen as if debating another ssage. "Dad, what are you doing?"
"Your mom isn't answering my calls." The admission carried more weight than he intended.
At the ntion of Veronica, Sabrina's expression shifted dramatically. She crossed her arms and turned her face away with an indignant huff that would have been comical if not for the genuine hurt in her eyes.
Cullen reached over and pinched her soft cheek gently. "You get mad every ti I ntion your mom. Did you upset her?"
Sabrina's eyes widened with righteous indignation. "It was Mom who made mad!"
He settled back against the couch, propping his chin on his hand with apparent interest. "Oh?"
The floodgates opened. "She promised to take skiing, but when I called her today, she said she was busy and told we'd go next ti!" Sabrina's voice rose with each word, her disappointnt palpable.
"If your mom was busy and couldn't take you out, shouldn't you be understanding instead of getting upset? Isn't that your fault?" Cullen's tone carried gentle reproach as he pressed his large hand against her head and stood. "Let's go."
Sabrina blinked in confusion. "Where to?"
"Your great-grandma wants us to go ho for dinner."
A small "Oh" escaped her lips as she pouted, muttering complaints under her breath while hurrying to keep pace with his longer strides.
anwhile, Veronica had ordered Chinese takeout, eating chanically while reviewing contract terms on her laptop. The lo in tasted like cardboard, but she forced herself to finish it. At exactly seven o'clock, her phone rang again.
Cook's na on the caller ID made her stomach clench with guilt. Unlike Cullen's calls, this one couldn't be ignored. Cook had shown nothing but kindness to her family, even during the most difficult tis.
"Hello, Grandma."
Cook's warm voice filled the line. "Ver, Cullen told you're busy. When will you be done?"
The lie Cullen had apparently told on her behalf offered an easy escape route. Veronica seized it without hesitation. "I'll be busy for the next couple of days. Sorry, Grandma, I don't think I'll have ti to visit you."
"That's alright, dear. I just worry that you're overworking yourself." The genuine concern in Cook's voice made Veronica's chest tighten with guilt.
"I won't, Grandma. I know my limits."
"That's good." Cook paused, then added with motherly care, "Cullen is going back tomorrow. I'll have him bring you sothing good to eat. Make sure you eat well, okay?"
The thought of Cullen showing up at her door with food from Cook made her skin crawl, but she couldn't refuse without seeming ungrateful. "Alright."
After ending the call, Cook turned to observe her grandson. Cullen sat on the antique sofa, newspaper spread before him, but she could tell his attention wasn't on the financial reports he pretended to read.
A knowing smirk crossed her weathered features. "Next ti, if Veronica doesn't co back with you, don't bother coming back either."
Cullen's eyebrow arched in amusent as he looked up from the paper. "Then should I just leave?"
Cook found herself speechless at his audacity, though a part of her admired his quick wit even in the face of her obvious displeasure.
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