Chapter 4

Ryan blurted out, "Why are you still so scatterbrained, just like when you were little?"

But just mentioning the old days made the tension between them come right back.

No matter how hard I tried to make them laugh, neither Ryan nor Emily would crack a smile this time.

Later, Emily and I brought Ryan back home, but when we got to his door, we just stood our ground, refusing to leave.

Since Emily was the one who got him to the hospital, Ryan finally gave in with a sigh and said, "Stay for lunch."

I knew what he was really saying—once lunch was over, we'd still have to leave.

Thinking about how anxious Emily looked, I snuck over to Ryan and tugged at his sleeve, whispering, "Grandpa, Mom says she's going to sleep for a long time, like a bear.

"She's worried about me. Can you pretend to like me, just so she won't be sad?"

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, because Ryan's expression grew stormy.

When he set the dishes on the table, he slammed them down so hard that Emily and I both jumped.

Emily frowned, looking like she wanted to say something, but when her eyes landed on me, she just pressed her lips together and stayed quiet, thinking to herself.

[Just let it go for Sophie's sake.]

But Ryan was the first to bring it up. He asked, "So, where's Sophie's dad working now?"

Emily paused, her voice flat as she answered, "Sophie doesn't have a dad. She's mine alone."

"So, you've got yourself a new boyfriend now?" Ryan pressed, his brows knitted, refusing to drop the subject.

Emily's face looked pretty sour, but she managed to answer patiently, "No."

A disdainful look shot her way, and Ryan said, "Once you've got a kid, you've gotta step up and be responsible. Quit running around with those shady characters."

Emily's hands quivered, and her voice shot up. She was like a riled-up cat, all bristled. "What about you? Did you ever give a damn about me?"

With a loud slap on the table, Ryan sprang to his feet. "I was willing to be there for you! But what did you do? You took off without a single word, hooking up with that green-horned kid!

"All these seven years, did you ever spare a thought about how I've been living?"

I felt totally lost and a little scared, just sitting there watching them—two people who looked so much alike—red-faced and shouting at each other.

Ryan and Emily were always so kind to me. Why did they turn into these fighting machines whenever they were together?

Emily slumped back, dropping her fork. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed softly.

After a bit, she wiped away her tears and put on her tough-as-nails act again.

She said, "You owe me and Mom. You never took care of me, so now it's your turn to look after Sophie."

At the mention of my late grandma, Ryan deflated. A long sigh escaped his lips.

Thinking he was backing down, Emily let out a sneering laugh. "Remember when Mom just passed and that woman came crying for a place in your life?

"So what, she bailed on you, too, in the end? She couldn't stand your bad temper, could she?

"No one in their right mind would want to be with a cold-blooded guy like you who can ditch his own daughter and granddaughter."

Ryan was shaking with fury. "Then, how could you just dump Sophie on me? Aren't you worried I'll mess her up?

"If you didn't have a new life and a new someone, you wouldn't abandon your own flesh and blood. Do you think she's a burden?"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Emily fell silent. She got up, walked over to Ryan, and pleaded, "Dad, I'm really begging you this time."

Then she bowed deeply, her posture solemn.

But Ryan was still seething. Instead of giving in, he scooped me up, stopping me from helping Emily up.

"Grandpa, Mom really needs to hibernate. When spring comes, she'll come back for me," I said, my voice shaky with tears.

However, Ryan still looked confused. Just as he was about to say something, there was a loud crash behind him.

Emily had crumpled to the floor, out cold.

Ryan was jolted. He hoisted Emily onto his back and dashed downstairs, telling me to stay put at home.

But I was worried sick about Emily. In the hospital restroom today, I'd seen that red stain in the sink again.

When we reached the hospital, the doctor saw us and quipped, "This morning it was your daughter lugging you around. Now it's you carrying her."

Ryan, out of breath from the run, said, "She might have low blood sugar. She's had this issue since she was a little girl. Please check her out."

However, when the doctor emerged again, his face was grim.

Hiding behind a chair, I heard him say, "Sir, your daughter's in a bad way.

"I went through her medical records. She... she's got only about two months left."