Page 46 of Stronger Than Blood

Chapter forty-two

Mick

“Okay, well, I’m going to go get Granny and bring her back. Do I need to pick anything else up before we get here?”

Kalinda shook her head. “No, you bought more food than we can eat in a month, and I noticed the garden is brimming with produce, so we’ve got plenty to do and eat from there. Just go get your grandmother and bring her home.”

I smiled and jumped up, kissing Kalinda’s cheek and then kissing Rory on the mouth before I dashed out of the house. I was so ready to have her back home. Back where we could keep an eye on her, and knowing how much she loved being home, well, I could barely contain my excitement.

There were a few complications with her discharge. First, the doctor needed to see her; then they had paperwork; then they didn’t have one of her prescriptions… Well, I suppose they were typical issues surrounding discharges from a medical facility. Soon enough, though, we were on our way.

“Granny, you’re quiet. Everything okay?” I asked.

She didn’t look at me but reached over and took my hand. When she didn’t respond, I grew concerned. I quickly took my eyes off the road and glanced at her to see a tear streaming down her face. “Granny, what’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed.

“Ssh, nothing’s wrong, I-I just thought I’d die in that place. I didn’t think I’d get to go home.”

“Fuck,” I said, then clapped my free hand over my mouth and looked wide-eyed at Granny, who gave me a stern look, then laughed.

“Exactly,” she finally said.

She held my hand until we pulled down the rough, windy road that led to her house. I pulled my car around so she could go straight to the front door, and her belongings could be easily taken in. I opened her door and helped her out, noticing how unsteady she still was.

We walked slowly up the stairs, where she could use her other hand to hold onto the rail, and easily made it to the front door. When I went to open it, though, the damned thing was stuck. I felt a cold sweat come across me and knew instantly the entity was trying to prevent us from coming in.

“Get the hell away from that door!” Granny yelled, and when she reached for the handle, it turned and opened as easily as could.

When we entered, we saw a stunned Kalinda and Rory standing on the other side. “Um, sorry… We couldn’t get it open.”

“Jackass ain’t keeping me out of my house… not then and sure as hell not now. Been too damned long as it is.”

I glanced warily around the room before we went in, then helped Granny use her walker to get through the door and find her favorite chair next to the fireplace. “Well, looks like you’ve done some redecorating while I’ve been away,” she said, tongue in cheek.