Page 154 of The Echo of Forever

Geraldine Cannon.

Demetrius’s grandmother had a name that showed the era she was born in, probably came from a long line of southerners who settled in Everwood way before I was thought of.

It was the same as my dad’s mom, but I never met the woman, only heard stories about the way she put my dad and uncle against one another.

That kind of upbringing turned them into the people they were today, and it was no different with me and Kai. We were nothing but products of our environment. I refused to be them in this new chapter of my life.

The monitors’ beeping pulled me from my thoughts. I shifted in the chair at G’s bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept. Demetrius had dimmed the lights after I declined to go with him to get food, hoping his grandmother would wake while we were alone. There was a question I needed an answer to.

My patience paid off after twenty minutes of waiting. Her eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment, she seemed confused by her surroundings. Then her gaze landed on me, recognition dawning slowly.

“Where’s Meechie?” she asked, voice a little scratchy.

I smiled at the nickname, picking up on it being used only by her.

“He went to grab us some food,” I said, helping her adjust the bed to a sitting position before handing over the water cup from the bedside tray. “I think your grandson might be more worried than he’s pretending to be.”

She accepted the water and took a small sip while studying me. Her light brown eyes were nothing like Demetrius’s, but somehow still the same. Still as intense as his, especially when he was trying to figure something out.

“I can guarantee it’s exactly that,” she said, setting the Styrofoam cup down. “Deep, deep down, he’s passionate about our family, loves them way more than he’ll ever admit.”

I leaned forward, elbows to knees. This was exactly where I’d wanted the conversation to go. Demetrius put on a front of nonchalance with his siblings, but I could see how much they meant to him.

“Is there a reason for that?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.

His grandmother hit me with a knowing smile that told me she understood exactly what I was doing.

“Because if he loves everyone as deeply as he loves you, they’ll use him as an example like they did his father,” she said. “And do it in front of his siblings, something he’d rather keep them sheltered from.”

The implication settled heavily in my chest. I knew his father was murdered in front of him; everyone did. But suddenly, the pieces clicked into place. His protectiveness, his careful control. That unwillingness to show vulnerability to anyone but me.

My mother had been the one to kill Gerald. She’d taken from him, and he still loved me like no one ever had before.

“Don’t,” his grandmother said, catching the shift in my expression. “Whatever you’re thinking, Demetrius wouldn’t want you carrying that weight.”

I blinked, surprised by how easily she’d read me.

“My mother—”

“Did what she was ordered to do,” she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Just like you did what you were ordered to do before you found your way back to each other. This family understands duty, even when it cuts us to the bone.”

I nodded slowly, accepting her words even if the guilt wouldn’t completely disappear. He deserved the me who remembered everything.

“He hides how deeply he cares about all of you. I’ve noticed that.”

“When he believes in something, he believes it with his whole heart…” Her eyes didn’t leave mine. “Loving you as deeply and openly as he clearly wants to is him giving you all the love he keeps bottled up for everyone else. He finds you worthy of that, and I find you worthy of the Cannon name because of it.”

Her words filled a space inside me I didn’t know was there. It meant more coming from her than it would have from anyone else.

Before I could say what was on my heart, the door opened. Demetrius stepped in, bags of food in hand, his eyes immediately finding his grandmother’s and then mine.

“Y’all good?” he asked, letting the door shut behind him. “Feels like you were just talking about me, G.”

His grandmother laughed, and it brought a smile to my face.

“Don’t worry about what we were talking about,” she chastised playfully. “And take your wife home. I’m fine here until Velma comes.”

She waved her hand dismissively, but Demetrius ignored the gesture. He handed me bags from the chicken joint up the block and took the seat next to mine, before taking them back.