Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Celeste stood afar and watched a few people take away her beloved grandma to put her far away from her.

So far away that she could never reach her even if she wanted to.

She stared blankly as her neighbours came forward and gave her their condolences.

She didn’t want their condolences.

She wanted her grandma back.

"Celeste dear, Let's go back. You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. You need to take care of yourself too. Your grandma won't be happy if she watches you neglecting your own health." Kenneth, Asher's mom said while putting a hand on Celeste's shoulder. She felt really bad for the young girl. Just 24 and she already had lost everyone. Life was indeed very cruel to her. Kennet didn’t understand how to comfort the broken girl. She was usually so strong and brave but the death of her grandmother had completely broken her. She sighed.

Celeste still didn’t reply. She watched as one by one everyone left after burying her grandma. It was just her, Kenneth and Flynn left. She didn’t want them to worry for her. All she wanted to do was stay beside her grandparents for a while.

"Thank you Kenneth and Flynn. I could never repay your help and kindness." Celeste whispered softly, loud enough for both Flynn and Kenneth to her. They smiled at her sympathetically and shook their heads.

"Don't say that, Celeste. You and your grandparents are like a family to us. We could never forget what Fredrick did for us. So everything we do would always be less compared to what he did for us." Flynn said with a sad smile while remembering Celeste's late grandpa. Kenneth also nodded and then held Celeste's both hands.

"You are always welcome to our family, don't hesitate to knock over our door if you ever need any help, dear." Kenneth said in a reassuring voice while Flynn nodded with her in agreement. Celeste smiled at them softly and nodded.

"I will be fine. Don't worry. Now I just want to stay with my grandparents for a while." Celeste said while looking towards her Grand parent's cemetery. Kenneth and Flynn looked at each other and exchanged a look before nodding. They could understand the young girl's emotion. She needed space to relieve her sorrows.

"Alright. We will head back then. Just make sure to return before sunset and please have dinner with us today." Kenneth requested in a motherly tone while rubbing Celeste's head affectionately. Celeste smiled at her gesture and nodded without saying anything. Kenneth and Flynn both gave her a sad smile before leaving her alone there in the cemetery.

Celeste slowly moved and made her way towards her grandparent's cemetery. They both wanted to be buried beside each other and finally that time had arrived. They were sleeping there together, without her.

Celeste slowly sat down and put her head on her grandma's Cemetery while closing her eyes.

She remembered what she had said to her for the last time but she didn’t know it was their last time together. If she knew, then she would have made sure to stay beside her and cherish the moment as much as she could.

Celeste let the tears flow as she remembered her grandma's last words.

Flashback (26th February)

"Celeste, darling! You need to put that laptop aside and sleep. It's already been late. You have to wake up early in the morning to go back to Toronto, remember?" Marielle said as she slowly made her way down through the stairs. Celeste glanced at her for a moment and smiled.

"Just a moment, grandma. I need to send these emails to my boss. It's urgent." Celeste replied while still typing on his laptop. Marielle sighed. As she came a bit closer, her eyes landed on the soup and the pasta she had made and put there for her to eat a long time ago. She instantly frowned and scowled at Celeste.

"You, young lady, why haven’t you touched your food yet? It's not acceptable. The food has already become cold. You have become too careless these days, Celeste!." Marilelle scolded Celeste angrily while picking up the food to warm them for her. Celeste bit her lips and shut down her laptop instantly. She knew she was in trouble as her Grandma had called her young lady and Celeste without adding darling after that. Her Grandparents always called her darling and when they did not she knew she was in trouble. She smiled sheepishly at her grandma who was eying her disapprovingly.

"Oh grandma! Don't be angry. You see, I needed to send those emails urgently as I already have missed a week at the office otherwise they won't pay your darling." Celeste said coyly while getting up from the sofa. She then went towards her grandma and hugged her from behind. Hearing her words, Marielle heaved a sigh. She couldn’t stay angry at her darling, no matter how much she tried.

"You need to take care of yourself first, darling. No matter what." Marielle said while turning towards Celeste. Celeste smiled at her and nodded before taking away the dishes from her and then putting them away on the table. She then pulled her grandma with her and made her seat on the sofa before she herself laid down on the sofa while placing her head on Marielle's lap.

" I will. And if I fail to do so, you will always be here to take care of me. Won't you?" She asked while tilting her head to look at her grandma's face with a grin. Marielle smiled at her before shaking her head. She then slowly started caressing her hair affectionately.

"Yes, darling. But you need to remember. I won't always be there for you. So promise me darling, you will always take care of you. You won't be cruel towards yourself ever and you will always let go of things that hurt you. You need to always remember, no matter where I will be, I will always watch over you. If you ever neglect yourself or hurt yourself then it will hurt me too because I love you so much. So you need to take good care of you for me. Promise me darling, that you will." Marielle finished her sentences in a warm distant voice and placed a soft kiss on Celeste's forehead. Celeste slowly got up and looked at her grandma with a smile. She then held both of her grandma's hands and said,

"I promise." Her voice was warm and soft. She then placed a kiss on each of her grandma's hands before throwing her arms around her and hugging her tightly. Marielle let out a soft chuckle and rubbed her back.

"Oh darling!"

Flashback ends

Oh darling!

Oh darling!

Oh darling!

Those words kept ringing in her head as she cried there silently while laying her head on her grandma's grave.

"Why did you leave me grandma? Why? First mom and dad. Then grandpa and now you? Why did you leave your darling when she needed you the most? Why grandma why? Why didn’t you let me say goodbye? Why didn’t you say goodbye to me? Why grandma? Why? How would I survive without you? I have no one in this world. I never thought, I was an orphan before because I always had you and grandpa with me. When grandpa left, I thought you were still here but what about now? You made a true orphan now. How do I live without you?" Celeste blabbered while sobbing hysterically.

Her heart felt really painful. Just in 24 hours she lost everything. She felt as if she didn’t have any reason to live anymore. She desperately wanted a support to hold on. She had promised her grandma. She needed to hold on. She couldn’t give up for the sake of her grandma. Celeste didn’t know when she fell asleep while lying there cause when she opened her eyes it had started to dark.

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Around a month later…

Celeste was staring at the ceiling of her living room when she heard a knock on the front door. She didn’t want to get up but she had no choice. She slowly got up and went to open the door. The moment she opened the door she came face to face with a smiling Asher and Kenneth. Asher was holding a box which she held up towards Celeste excitedly the moment his eyes landed on her. Celeste smiled softly and moved at him.

"Celeste. This is for you. Mommy made this." Asher said while forwarding the dish towards Celeste. Celeste bent down and took it from his with a smile. She then placed a kiss on his both cheeks.

"Thank you, Asher." She said while getting up while holding the box.

"You’re welcome." Asher replied with a grin. Celeste smiled and then moved her attention towards Kenneth who was standing there with a smile while watching their interaction. Celeste smiled at her.

"Thank you, Kenneth. Oh see how rude of me for keeping you standing at the doorway. Please come in." Celeste said apologetically while moving aside for them to come. Kenneth smiled and shook her head.

"No. It's okay. I'm taking Asher to his school. I will see you in the afternoon. Take care, dear." Kenneth said. Her voice was full of tenderness. Celeste smiled and nodded.

"Asher, say goodbye to Celeste. " Kenneth said while looking towards Asher.

"Goodbye, Celeste." Asher said with a grin making Celeste smile.

"Goodbye." She said softly as they nodded and turned around to leave. Celeste then moved and entered the house after closing the door.

She put the box on the table and paused for a while. She then decided to check it first. She slowly opened the box and found a salomon dish inside with rice. She smiled. Flynn was a Japanese after all. She then decided to take a bite of the food as she was hungry but as soon as she took a few bites. She felt her stomach twist and a sudden urge to vomit everything out. She hurriedly got up and ran towards the washroom. She then went to the sink and vomited her gut out for the 11th time in three days.

Celeste heaved a sigh as she slowly washed her face. Something was definitely wrong with her. She then took a towel and made her way towards the living room where the TV was still one. She put the towel aside and was about to turn off the TV when one ad caught her attention and something clicked in her head.

A hope that she was desperately looking for the past one month suddenly arose making her heart beat faster. She hurriedly turned off the tv and went upstairs to get changed. After changing she took her purse and made her way out of the house, heading straight to the streets and calling out a taxi. She hurriedly got inside and closed the door of the taxi.

"Take me to the St. Joseph Hospital." She whispered softly yet loud enough for the taxi driver to hear.

As the taxi started to move she closed her eyes.

There's still hope.

There's still hope.

There's still hope.