128

128
Chapter 128
She's Changed?!!

Mar tapped Nikolas on the shoulder softly.
“That’s my boy…” she said with a warm smile, her voice gentle.

Nikolas turned to her. “I’m going to the doctor’s office,” he said. 

His tone was calm, but there was still that usual firmness behind his words.

Mar nodded slowly, looking at him with knowing eyes. “See me after,” she said.

Nikolas gave a short nod and began to walk off.

Just then, the door opened and someone walked in quickly.
“Grandma!!” Tanya’s voice echoed as she rushed forward, her heels clicking on the floor.

Mar turned immediately, her eyes narrowing. “Where have you been?! You were supposed to be here since!”

Tanya sighed dramatically, dropping her bag on the chair. “Grandma… I went to shop for more clothes. I was running out of clothes already.”

Mar frowned deeply. “You have clothes you haven’t even worn in your wardrobe!”

Tanya giggled lightly, brushing her long hair back. “Grandma, fashion changes every week! I can’t keep wearing old designs.”

Mar folded her arms. “So clothes are more important than family matters now?”

“Of course not, Grandma!” Tanya said quickly. “I just thought Cassy would still be asleep. I wanted to look good before seeing her.”

Mar sighed, shaking her head. “You and your endless excuses.”

Tanya moved closer, linking her arm with Mar’s. “Come on, Grandma, don’t be mad. I brought something for Cassy too.”

Mar raised a brow. “What’s that?”

Tanya smiled mischievously. “You’ll see.”

Mar rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling faintly. “Besides… how’s my sister-in-law?” Tanya asked suddenly, her voice softening a bit.

“Come,” Mar said as she started walking toward Cassandra’s ward. “Let’s go see her.”

“Yay, finally!” Tanya said and followed eagerly, her heels clicking louder now.

As they walked down the corridor, Tanya kept talking endlessly.
“I hope she’s awake,” Tanya said. “I don’t like seeing hospitals. The smell of medicine makes me dizzy.”

Mar glanced sideways. “Then you should have come earlier, before the medicine smell filled your nose.”

Tanya gasped. “Grandma! You’re teasing me.”

Mar smiled slightly. “I learned it from you.”

INSIDE THE WARD

I sat up a bit, my hands resting on my lap, still a bit pale but looking better than before.

The door opened and Mar walked in, Tanya right behind her, holding a fancy paper bag.

“Cassandra!” Tanya said loudly, almost startling everyone.

I looked up slowly. “Tanya… you’re here.”

Tanya smiled and walked forward quickly. “Thought you wouldn’t make it,” she said with a small smirk, the kind she always wore when she wanted attention.

I smiled faintly, my voice calm but clear. “Oh… I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Tanya chuckled, “You should. Not everyone survives what you did.”

Mar turned sharply to her. “Mind your words, Tanya, or I’ll have to send you out!”

Tanya bit her lip immediately, lowering her eyes. “Sorry, Grandma. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Mar sighed and shook her head, moving closer to my side. She touched my hand gently. “Don’t mind her, dear. You know how she is.”

I smiled faintly. “It’s okay, Grandma.”

Tanya quickly pulled something out of the paper bag. “Here, I got this for you!” she said, bringing out a small box wrapped neatly with a ribbon.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Chocolates!” Tanya said happily. “Imported ones. They help you recover faster!”

Mar gave her a look. “Where did you hear that from?”

Tanya smiled nervously. “Uhm… I read it online.”

Just then, the door opened again and Nikolas entered.

His eyes landed immediately on the box in Tanya’s hand. “She doesn’t need them,” he said firmly as he walked forward.

The room went silent.

Tanya slowly turned. “Brother! Long time no see…” she said with a nervous laugh.

Nikolas came closer and sat right beside me, his arm almost protectively behind me. “I didn’t call you here. Why are you here?” he asked flatly.

Tanya swallowed hard. “I… I came to see my sister-in-law.”

Mar quickly stepped in. “I called her over, Nikolas. She’s your sister.”

Nikolas turned sharply to Mar. “Grandma, I’ve made it clear to her never to step her foot close to Cassy.”

Mar sighed. “Nikolas…”

“It’s okay, Nik…” I said softly, touching his arm to calm him down. “I’m fine.”

Nikolas looked at her quietly for a moment, then sighed and leaned back a bit, but his eyes didn’t leave Tanya.

Tanya smiled awkwardly. “You’re still scary, brother. You never change.”

“I don’t intend to,” Nikolas said.

Mar looked between both of them. “Can you two stop glaring at each other? This is a hospital, not a courtroom.”

Tanya rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t glaring.”

“Yes, you were,” Nikolas said coldly.

Tanya pouted. “Grandma, tell him to stop picking on me.”

Mar exhaled. “Both of you stop before I pick on you both.”

I chuckled quietly, trying to break the tension. “It’s fine, Grandma. Really.”

Mar smiled softly at me. “You have such a kind heart, Cassy.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Nikolas looked at Tanya again. “You should leave.”

Tanya frowned. “I just got here!”

“And now you’re leaving,” he said.

Mar tapped Nikolas’s arm. “Enough. Let her stay for a while.”

Nikolas didn’t argue but looked away, clearly not pleased.

Tanya leaned forward. “Cassy… you know, I brought some magazines too. They might help you relax. You like fashion, right?”

I smiled politely. “Sometimes.”

“Perfect! Then we’ll look through them later,” Tanya said excitedly.

Nikolas groaned quietly, rubbing his temples.

Mar chuckled softly. “You’ll never change, Tanya. Always trying to turn every place into your dressing room.”

Tanya smiled proudly. “Fashion keeps me alive, Grandma.”

Nikolas gave her a cold look. “Then maybe you should marry fashion.”

Tanya gasped. “You’re so mean!”

Tanya was acting weird and off for her kind of person, but still I was ready to play along.

Mar laughed suddenly, shaking her head. “That’s enough, both of you. Cassy needs peace, not your sibling war.”

Nikolas smirked faintly and crossed his arms.

Tanya sighed and turned to me again. “He’s always been like this since we were kids,” she said. “Never liked anyone around him.”

“That’s not true,” Nikolas said quickly. “I like peace around me. You don’t bring peace.”

Tanya placed a hand dramatically on her chest. “Ouch. That hurt.”

Mar raised a hand. “Enough! I swear, if I hear one more word from either of you, I’ll have the nurse chase both of you out!”

The room went quiet instantly.

I tried to hold my laughter but failed. “You two are really something,” I said, that was literally the first time I was seeing them get along.

Tanya chuckled. “That’s how we keep Grandma young.”

Mar glared at her but couldn’t help smiling. “You’ll be the reason I live to a hundred.”

Nikolas stood up suddenly. “I’ll be back,” he said.

“Where are you going?” I  asked.

“I will just be outside,” he said. “I’ll come get you after.”

I nodded gently. “Okay.”

As soon as he left, Tanya sighed dramatically and flopped on the sofa. “How do you handle him, Cassy? I’d lose my mind in a day!”

Did she just say that?!!

I laughed softly. “He’s not that bad once you understand him.”

Mar smiled knowingly. “That’s called love, Tanya.”

Tanya made a face. “Love makes people blind, Grandma.”

Mar chuckled. “And still you’ll go chasing it someday.”

“Not if it turns me into Cassy,” Tanya said jokingly.

I smiled faintly. “What’s wrong with being me?”

Tanya grinned. “Nothing. You’re just too calm. I’d go crazy living with someone like my brother.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not,” Mar said quickly.

Tanya laughed. “True!”

Mar sighed. “You talk too much, Tanya.”

“I get that from you, Grandma,” she said teasingly.

Mar smiled and shook her head. “I pity whoever marries you.”

“Then pity them early,” Tanya said with a wink.

I chuckled quietly. “You’re funny, Tanya.”

“I try,” Tanya said, smiling proudly. “I make every room brighter, don’t you think?”

Mar replied dryly, “Sometimes too bright.”

Tanya gasped playfully. “Grandma!!”

After a while, I leaned back on the pillow, looking a bit tired.

Mar noticed it immediately. “That’s enough talk. Cassy needs rest.”

Tanya pouted. “Already? I just got here.”

Mar stood. “You’ll come back later. Go home, Tanya.”

Tanya stood reluctantly, grabbing her bag. “Fine. But I’m taking my chocolates with me.”

I smiled. “No, you can leave them. I’ll keep them for later.”

Tanya’s face brightened immediately. “See? She likes me!”

Mar chuckled. “Go before I change my mind.”

Tanya walked to the door and stopped. “Cassy… get well soon, okay? I mean it. At least, this time…”

This time?!! What does she mean?

“Thank you, Tanya,” I said.

Tanya chuckled and left.

As soon as the door closed, Mar sighed deeply. “That girl will be the end of me someday.”

I smiled softly. “She’s not that bad, Grandma.”

Mar smiled faintly. “You’re too kind… You should rest now..”

“Thank you Grandma… I will do just that.” I said with a smile.

Mar held my hand and then left.