Page 195 of Chalk Outline

“Okay. Sounds like a plan.” Her eyes flicker with something I can’t decipher as she pushes the words out. “I want you to know,” she pauses, “Getting you out of that sick cycle was a victory for me because, on most days, I lose, even when I try my best. It’s never enough. You don’t get to save everyone.”

She reaches out to cup my cheek, her thumb gently caressing it.

“It wasn’t about ending lives. It was about saving them. But sometimes, we have to end lives to save lives. The first time I held you, it just felt right, calling myself a Grandma. I wasn’t going to replace your parents, whoever they may be; they gave me a purpose. They gave me my greatest treasure. It’s not about the empire I built, as you like to call it; it’s you. It was always you.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and my voice breaks with each word. “You were my entire family.”

“I wanted to be. When I found you, I realized how much I wanted a family. A sense of belonging. I lost that, and it washorrible.“ She shakes her head. “When I brought you into my life, I made you my weakness, but I wouldn’t have changed that, Winona. You may not be my blood, but I raised you like you were.”

My trembling hands grip the mug tightly as I try to avoid spilling its contents. The past twenty-four hours have been intense, eventful, and forever imprinted in my memory.

“Tell me more,” I request.

“I killed a lot after my husband and daughter were murdered. I wanted revenge. I wanted someone to pay. I wanted to wreak havoc. And I stopped when you came into my life.”

She had a daughter, too.

“That’s why you trained Reeve, because you wanted someone to protect me so you could be my Grandma.”

“Something like that. But he wrecked all my plans when he fell in love with you. The look in your eyes... I knew you found what I lost. That hurt a bit, but it also made me grateful. I wanted you to have a normal,boring life.“ She chuckles. “But the truth is, we can never make plans. What is destined to happen will happen regardless of how much you try to plan for it.”

“Were you happy when I married Reeve?”

A smile slowly tugs at the corners of her mouth. “I was over the moon. You deserved each other. Honestly, there’s no one else I trusted more around you. I mean… maybe Koy. But he was mine.”

A wave of excitement rushes through me. Finally, she admits it.

“Do you know why I trusted Reeve more than anyone?”

“Why?” I reply.

“He had to take care of himself his whole life. Even with his parents around, he couldn’t rely on them. He was alone from the beginning, but kept overcoming the hurdles life threw at him. There’s nothing more remarkable than that. But if you ask me again,” she pauses, wiggling her eyebrows once, “you needed someone young with stamina.”

“Grandma…” I laugh.

“Remember that.”

“What?”

“Every person who walks the earth is its finest creation, but also its greatest enemy.”

That truly resonates with me.

I hug her tightly for a few minutes, unable to release her. I don’t think she wants to either.

“One last thing,” she announces, “This house is yours and Reeve’s. Go travel for a while, clear your mind, and when you want to come back, you’ll have a fresh start.”

“Really?” I stare in shock.

“Yes.”

“I love you,” I say.

“I love you more. Get some rest, sweetie.” She pushes off the couch, her heels about to clack away, when she drops something beside me.

A joker card.

I stare at it with a smile.