Bands of the Unpaid Dowry

Chapter 35

"How?" Millicent croaked out the query.

Jace only regarded his father, knowing that if anyone could see through his willfulness it had to be him as most of his qualities compared to his. From the expression his father held as he watched him, he knew he had found out long ago; yet, what he couldn't understand was why none of them said anything.

"I thought there was something suspicious about your attitude and answers when I first met Millicent. I told Anthony and he said from a father's intuition that you had done something, so he investigated, and guess what we found." Josephine's eyes twinkled as she watched the two uncomfortable adults kneel with guilt consuming one more than the other - her son the less. They had gotten over the initial ill humor concerning the matter when they realized that their son would not engage in such a farce without having interest in the woman.

"I told Auntie Regina when I met her in your home." That would have been some months ago. Millicent would have thought that her mother would rage but she sat there with an amused grin on her face, and she had no idea how to react to that.

"Why didn't any of you say anything?" Jace was still trying to grasp their revelation and the one that their parents had shared.

"Knowing you, if you were not interested in Millicent, you would not have done that." His mother replied.

"And if this child-" Regina got up and hit her daughter on the back. "- did not like you, she wouldn't even have asked you."

"Ow!" She exclaimed as her mother raised her hand again and the older woman gave her a challenging gaze. Before her hand could hit her, Jace was in front of her, but that was not needed before her phone began to ring.

Millicent watched as her mom picked up the phone. Her face paled and her body tensed. Jace, noticing the change, moved away from Millicent and stood, helping her up to her feet as well. They had already confessed to Max who with a disappointed look stormed to his room and had not been out since. Josh left them to deal with the older people themselves.

"Eh?" Millicent stood taller and walked in front of her mother who had a disbelieving look. The intonation of this exclamation was that of impending doom. It made Josephine shoot up in her seat, throwing a concerned look to Millicent who was waiting for her mother.

Regina dropped to the couch with a lost look. Millicent squatted before her mother, grabbing onto her hands that were in her lap. "Ma?"

"Aba, grandma- grandma just passed." Her tear-filled eyes watched her daughter as she relayed the news that her mother was gone and no more. Millicent paled and fell to the ground before Jace could hold onto her, sitting. Josephine's gasp was muffled with her hand that was now covering her open mouth.

"Huh?" It took a while to comprehend what her mother had said. "Grandma? You mean your mother, grandma?" She asked brokenly, a tear falling from her eye. This was the sage woman that bathed her from her birth till she was weaned, the one whose warm laps she played, fed, and laid on, the one who gathered everyone around constantly so her house was filled with the chatter and laughter of both adults and children, the one who supported them with money when their dad was no more, the one with whom they spent almost every Christmas with in joy, the one who just made everything better. And right before her wedding.

A sob broke from her, and she choked on her words. "How? They said she was recovering well in the ICU." Regina on seeing her daughter's tears broke down herself. She didn't know how it happened. It was a tear in the esophagus which had successfully been repaired. She could not believe the news herself. Jace sat next to Millicent on the ground and cradled her in his arms and Josephine took her mother in a comforting hug.