Nick dropped his fork and napkin to the table and walked down the hallway towards the room across from his. He had his mind set on it, that there was a thief, what else?
He picked up a golf putter in his hand, which seemed to be the only weapon nanna had at the moment. She tries running after him to explain but before he got a swing at the theft, the door opens.
He lower the putter back down and looks a little shocked.
In front of him stood a beautiful young lady, perhaps in her early twenties. She had long stray brown hair and she was in a pair of jeans with a white flow top and a pair of brown combat boot. She had two luggages behind her followed with a duffel bag wrapped on her shoulder.
This girl was beautiful, Nick thought. She had the perfect brown orbs, and full plump lips. The frightened face reflected on hers from Nick's shocked face. He didn't picture the theft like this, two seconds ago when he was about to ram the door down.
Nanna came up to them.
"Nichol, this is Ms. Gomez, she was staying with me for the past few months," Nanna started to explain, she gave an apologetic frown to the girl, "I'm sorry Selena, my grandson is a little over protective."
"No, no, no... I'm sorry, I should have came out and said hi," the girl started to giggle, her smile was birght and her face glowed. Nick was still taken back by her beauty.
"I'm sorry for scaring you, I'm Nick," he felt the blood rush up to cheeks as the embarassment overcomes him, he reaches out to shake her hand.
The girl giggles again and shakes it, "Call me Selena."
Nanna smiles at the two who were just learning each other.
"Oh Audrey, here are your keys," Selena reaches out and hands over the set of keys to nanna's house, "Thank you so much for letting me stay here for the time I was like screwed in the head."
"Of course, come by to visit anytime. I'll be glad to accompany you," nanna laughs, both Selena and her laugh. Nick just stood there confused of what's going on.
"My cab should be here in about," Selena takes a glance at her watch, and looks back at nanna, "About now."
"I'll escort you," nanna smiles, Nick from behind took the cue and helped Selena with the luggages.
They walked out to the front, it was still really early. There weren't much people on the streets yet, the yellow cab came to the front and the old man had the back of his trunk ready for the luggages.
The cab driver and Selena loaded the luggages into the trunk while NIck and nanna stood side by side and waited to say their goodbyes to Selena.
"I'm going to miss you Audrey, I really appreciated all you did for me," Selena smiles while embracing nanna into her arms.
"Oh it was my pleasure sweet heart," nanna hugs back to the petite girl. Both slowly pulled away, "Remember to give me a call when you arrive."
Selena nods and pulls away, she reaches her hand out, "And nice meeting you."
"Yea of course, sorry to give a scare before you had to go," Nick apologized with a slight blush on his cheek.
"Not a problem," Selena giggles and shakes her head.
She gave nanna another hug and a kiss on the cheek before finally getting into the cab. They watched the cab drive off and turn the street before they went inside.
Nanna walked back into the house with Nick trailing behind her. They went back to the kitchen and settled back in their old seats.
"So who was that?" Nick asked, he took his seat and picked up his fork again. He looked at nanna's face for answers.
"I found her on the streets during Christmas then a little later the year I saw her again on the streets, she was really drunk so I took her in. She stayed with me till today and we took care of one another," Nanna explained to Nick, who seemed to be interested although knowing he will forget sooner or later.
--
Nick stood by the big window in the living room and leaned on the window frame just staring to the midst of no where. He was just zoning out and thinking. Thinking about the options, what if he didn't have to care for his family's business and became a writer? What if choosing to help save the family business ruined his life? All the what ifs made Nick paranoid, he snapped out of it when he felt a shake on his right shoulder.
He looked over and met eye to eye with nanna's. She was almost the same height as Nick but shorter by half a feet or so. She gave a small smile, and pulled him over to the couch.
"Come, let's have a seat," she wraps her arm around Nick's broad shoulders and guided him to the couch. They took a seat next to each other. "What's the deal honey?"
Nick gave a small chuckle, as always, whenever nanna used the term, "honey."
He shook his head smiling, "Dad is just... being him. He wouldn't stop, I told him so many times I don't want to do the family business, and it isn't just because I don't want to... but because I'm not good enough."
"You aren't taking this opportunity because you don't think you're good enough?" Nanna looked at Nick with a tough grin, "Sweet heart, I tell you, you are only good if you think you are, if you think you aren't, no matter how hard you try, you aren't."
Nick smiled, he likes it when he visits nanna for these advice. She is a very strong and independent woman. She is a woman who knows her black and white, she gives the best advices, even to his mother.
"But you know, sometimes I feel like he is just pushing me to the corner, I can't... I don't want to do this anymore, I want to live my life," Nick cried and fell forward, leaving his head fall to his bare palms.
Nanna nodded with a frown, her heart was breaking to watch her grandson in misery because of her own son. She patted on Nick's back giving encouraging words.
"Nichol, you are a tough young man, very tough. I believe if follow your dreams, and it'll come true, your father will understand," nanna advised him.
Nothing can really go wrong when it comes to nanna, she has her ways of being right and that is what Nick grew up to believe.
"Thanks grandma," Nick opened his arms and embraced the small little white hair lady into his built physique. Nanna hugged with back happily.
But when he pulled away, his face was still crumbled with something. And nanna was good at looking through people, especially through the many centuries she's lived.
"What's going on now? Is it Samantha, sweet heart?" Nanna asked him.
Nick nodded, "I don't know what she wants from me, everything was going so fine then when we talked about getting married... both of us always get into an argument."
Nanna's heart was breaking for Nick, she knew this girl was a call for no good. Last Christmas when the family visited, Nick brought Samantha, the first minute nanna laid an eye on her, she knew this girl was nothing but trouble behind the sweet smile she tries to put on.
And it was hard to tell Nick, he was that grandson that was willing to give his world for anything he thought he loved.
"I don't understand her, I proposed to her but she rejected me, then when she wanted to get married, I told her that I have a family situation to take care of and she just..." Nick sighed, not wanting to go into details of their fight.
"Sweet heart, that's how it is with love. In a relationship or even life, there are ups and downs, and it takes both sides to be ready. In my honest opinion marriage is really too soon," nanna told him truthfully. Partly the last stab was because she really did not Samantha as her granddaughter-in-law, this girl was definitely in it for the money.
People may say its a thing with rich people not to trust outsiders, but really, half the people they meet are in it for the money or the reputation. It is hard to tell who is black, white or even grey.
