Chapter 17

Orion

I had a few minutes to talk to Raya before she went into court, but nothing after that. She knew my grandmother was going in for surgery and I'd be unreachable for several hours and I knew she didn't want to add any more stress onto me. But I wouldn't mind a little distraction right now either. Thinking of her, helped. I really could use her strength right now. Unfortunately, she needed to pack it all to face her own battle which I hope was going well.

Mayson and I had been sitting in the waiting room for hours. Finn had been honest with us as well as with our grandmother on how weak she was, and the risk of surgery. I was on the fence about whether she should have it or not. But without it, her chances of living were not great. And her quality of life was going to suck. She no longer would be able to live on her own. She told Finn straight out that giving up her freedom scared her more than death. I know it was her decision to make, but I wished Finn was more optimistic about the outcome.

I got up and started to pace the floor again. My nerves were shot.

"Sit down already. You're driving me crazy. I understand that you are worried about both the women in your life, Raya and Grandmother. But face it. You have no control over either right now," Mayson snarled.

His frustration and fear were creeping out in a different way than my own. I got that. So, I let his snide comments go. We needed to be supportive of each other, especially now.

I sat down and said, "I can't help but wonder how Raya made out."

"Why don't you call her?" he suggested.

"I am worried that as soon as I step away from here, Finn will come out wanting to talk to us," I replied.

"Five minutes. That's all. Go. Call her. I think you need to, even if you won't admit it," Mayson stated.

I got back up and stepped out of the waiting room and closed the door behind me. I dialed her number and waited for her to answer.

When she did, she sounded tired. "Orion, how is your grandmother?" she asked.

Mayson was right. I needed to hear Raya's voice, even more than I realized.

"She is still in surgery. Been in there for hours. They said it would take a long time. Just waiting and not being able to do anything is..."

"Is hard. I can't imagine what you are feeling. And I wish I could be there for you," she stated.

You are. She might not be physically here, but somehow, I could feel her support all the way from the other side of the world. Hopefully, she could feel mine as well.

"You are where you need to be right now, and so am I. How are you holding up?" I asked.

"Better than I thought I would," she replied. "Despite the fact that I had to be in the courtroom early, I had to wait for hours before the judge called my name to speak to me."

"How did it go when he did?" I asked. Is that bastard out of your life for good now?

"He had a lot of questions for me. Some very tough ones. I had never shared any details about why Joseph and I ended our marriage until I talked to you. That was hard enough but saying it in a courtroom even more so. I felt as though all eyes were on me, and my character was being called into question. Shaun wasn't lying. Joseph portrayed me as a...bad parent," she said, sounding a little defeated. "He had told the court that I had come to the US for a green card. And that I got pregnant on purpose and forced him to marry me so that I could get his money."

That was ridiculous. From what I knew, she had supported herself and Joey the entire time, on her own. It was probably a good thing I wasn't there. I might be spending time in a US jail cell if I had been. There was no wayI would have sat there and not knocked Joseph's ass out. That wouldn't have helped her case at all.

In the most encouraging tone I could muster, I said, "You are not a bad parent. If anything, you're a role model for how a mother should be. Loving. Kind. Supportive. Understanding."

"Thank you, Orion. All I could do was answer all the questions they had for me, honestly. There was only one time I felt as though they questioned my judgment. That was when I explained leaving Joey with Kathy for the job in Tabiq," she said.

"What did they say?" I asked. No one outside of Tabiq knew our ue history. At least not that I knew of. If her ex did, and he had told the courts, that would be hard for her to explain.

"Mostly why I was taking Joey from his father and going to live in a -world country. All those hours you and I spent talking about the growth of Tabiq over the last decade, was what I needed to answer that question in court. Not that I should've done so, but I dropped the Henderson name. Told them about the beautiful resort they had built. How Logan Henderson had been the head of our hospital before Finn O'Connor. And even mentioned how Tabiq had entered into international trade and how it is now developing faster than many other countries."

She almost sounded like a proud Tabiqian when she spoke.

"I'm glad all my chatter hadn't been for nothing," I said.

"Not at all. But it's not over. I need to go back tomorrow," she signed.

"Why? What else could they need to know?" I asked.

"The judge wants me, Joey, and Joseph in there. Not sure why but Shaun's attorney told me not to be concerned. So, I'm trying not to be," she stated. "Just so you know, it's impossible. I'm a wreck," she truthfully. "I just can't wait for this to be all over."

"It will be. You're going to get through this, and Joseph will come out looking like the liar he is," I stated.

"I hope so." She changed the subject and asked, "How are you holding up?"

I'd rather talk about you. I wasn't worried about myself. But like me, she needed to think of something other than what was going on in her life.

"I'm a wreck too," I said, deciding to be honest. She was the one person with whom I always wanted to and always could be my true self.

"Understandable. She's not even my grandmother, and I am worried sick about her too. But I'm glad you called. I am about to go to Kathy's and spend the night with Joey. Otherwise, I'd love to be able to talk to you longer," she said.

"Does he know you're in the States?" I asked.

"No. It's going to be a surprise," she stated. "Hope he's as excited to see me as I am to see him."

I wasn't so sure about that. At ten, he might be upset that she was interrupting his video game time.

"Show up with pizza and his favorite snack and you will be fine," I said.

She chuckled. "You haven't even met him yet, and you got him figured out."

I hoped to learn a lot more about him when they got here.

"Let me know how it goes tomorrow. And enjoy your time tonight. Sweet dreams, Raya," I said.

"Please keep me updated on your grandmother. And don't forget to take care of yourself. Eat something and make sure to drink. You're no good to her if you get sick. She is going to need you when she gets home," she stated. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Hopefully, we will both have some good news to share."

I loved her positive thoughts. I needed them now.

Hell, I love all of her.

"Good night." I reluctantly ended the call and went back to sit with Mayson. Although she didn't get an answer from the judge, she still sounded good.

Better than me.

"Did I miss anything?" I asked.

"No. How is Raya?" he questioned.

Raya had told me that I could share with Mayson what she was doing back in the States. He had been shocked to learn what she had been through, but like myself, he was very supportive of her. I could feel his genuine concern for her. Raya was special. And everyone who met her felt it.

"She has to go back to court tomorrow," I replied.

"That sucks. I know you were hoping that she would be on a plane heading back here," he said.

That I am.

"She still needs to settle things with her son. It's not like she can finish with the court and just drive to the airport. I'm sure Joey will have plenty of questions for her as well."

I couldn't believe the judge was making her bring Joey with her. Why? Was he going to turn custody over to Joseph? I sure in hell hoped not. That would kill Raya. Joey is her life. But there was nothing I could do about it from here. Except to hope and pray that the judge saw the woman, the mother, that I did, and Raya was given full custody of her son.

The door to the waiting room opened and Finn entered. Mayson and I leapt from our seats. "How is she," we both blurted out.

"She is stable. The operation had a few complications. She will need to be closely monitored for the next several days," he said.

"But she's going to be okay?" I asked.

"We will know more after the next forty-eight hours. As I said, she has a lot of heart damage," he stated.

I wasn't even prepared to think that she could die. But Finn had told us the surgery itself was risky with her status. The fact she made it through, gave me hope.

"What can we expect after forty-eight hours?" Mayson asked.

"It will be a long recovery for her. I know she will not be happy to hear this, but I do not see her going back to living alone. I'd advise against it," Finn stated.

"No problem. I'll take care of her," I said. God knows she'd done that for us when we were little and abandoned.

"If you would like to go see her, you can, but only one at a time. And she is highly medicated, and out right now," Finn said.

"Thank you for everything. I never thought we would be doing this. She looked so healthy just a few days ago," I stated.

"I know what you're going through. I just did the same thing with my mother. Women are good at covering up what they need to, so we don't worry. What they don't understand is, that is what makes us worry all the more," Finn stated.

Fact!

When he left the room, I turned to Mayson and asked, "Did you want to go in first this time?"

He shook his head. "No. I need a little bit to process this. You go," he said.

I wasn't sure I was prepared either, but I needed to see her. I went through the door that Finn had instructed me to go to, and the nurse led me to her room. There were tubes coming out of everywhere, some draining and others pumping things in. She looked like hell. I considered myself a strong individual, but hell, I could never work in the medical field. I felt my stomach twist and I worried I'd hurl.

Forcing myself to sit by her bedside, I sat quietly. All the years seemed to come flooding back, like looking through an old photo album. She gave so much of her life to us. And always with a smile. Never complaining. And at her age, taking two rambunctious boys on was not something planned for. But she did. And even after my grandfather passed away, she never stopped putting us boys first. Working and providing for us was just one piece. But she took the time to listen and to know us, help us become the men we are today. We owed her everything.

I choked and only realized then that hot tears were running down my cheeks. We had almost lost her. And still might. But I still needed her. I had so much more to learn. Like how to be a good husband. A great father. Raya was going to come back, and I knew I and I knew the part I wanted to play in her and Joey's life.

Grandmother. You can't leave me now. I need you. We need you. Keep fighting for us. I wiped my cheeks, and said, "I love you, Grandmother."

I got up from the chair and stood by the bed looking down at her. My mind was made up. She was going to live with me. Not sure how I was going to pull it off, taking care of her, helping run a country, and making time for Raya and Joey, but I was going to do it. Somehow, I would make it work.

What choice do I have?