"She's doing fine," Alexander told him.
"She's a fine young lady, and very smart too," Kenji said. "I hope her grief doesn't weigh her down too much," Alexander felt terrible for the lie Selena had told them. "But stay close to her, okay? She'll need all the comfort she can get."
"Sure, I will," Alexander said.
After the call ended, Alexander decided he needed to destress. Work had been quite easy on him, but he needed the warmth of the only love he had.
He decided to drive himself, dropping with his assistant that he would be gone for two hours. Traffic was fair, thankfully, and by the time he made it to the detached roof duplex in the Surbabian neighborhood, he was barely thirty minutes on the road.
He walked up to the modest structure, flowers blooming in his path. Someone in the house next door was watching him, and he waved in greeting as he rang the doorbell. He heard the shuffling of feet, and soon, the door opened, revealing the wrinkled face of his grandmother, Bettie. She giggled like a two-year-old and hugged her grandson.
"It's so lovely to see you finally," she patted his back.
"I was just here about a month ago," Alexander reminded her.
"Too long ago," Bettie broke the hug and assessed him. He also looked at her to see if there were any changes from the last time he met her. She still looked the same; pure white hair, straight standing with the aid of her walking stick, identical ocean blue eyes as his and a youthful smile. At sixty-eight, she was as delightful as ever.
"I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday!" She announced as she walked into the house and Alexander followed after, locking the door behind him. "It's like my body told me you'd be coming around soon, or I'm just psychic!"
Those cookies had always been his favorite, and she never refused him since he was a child when he asked her to make him some.
She brought a glass of milk and a plate of cookies, just like she always served him. Alexander thanked her and dug into the food.
"Something's bothering you," Bettie said, peering into his face. "I can see it weighing on your shoulders."
Alexander stopped eating and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His grandmother had always read him like a book.
"I've been a mess these few weeks, Grandma," Alexander said. "And it's work and family too, it's just…I want a break sometimes."
Bettie smiled. "I understand. I did tell you it wasn't going to be easy flying on your own. But you're an eagle, Alex."
"I actually landed a new deal," Alexander said proudly. "Or not me exactly. I and this other lady."
"Oh," Bettie's eyes lit up. "A lady."
"Just a…" Colleague? Friend? Business enemies? "... business partner of mine. I'm not giving you great-grandkids anytime soon. So not every lady I mention is a potential wife."
"Darn it," Bettie hit her cane on the ground. "And here I was hoping you'd have some good news for me."
"I'm just twenty-five, you need to relax."
"And I'm a foot in my grave!"
Alexander shook his head at her. "Grandma, please."
She waved him off. "Please. Finish up your cookies. I want to tell you about the new neighbors that just moved in. They do yoga and pilates every morning in their yard. One day they asked me to join them. I could feel the pain in my back just by hearing that suggestion…"
She chatted him up about the recent happenings in her life as she always did. When Alexander mentioned family, she was the one all-encompassing. She was his stress relief, and in her presence, all his problems faded. It didn't matter how big it was, she would level it down to the ground.
When two hours were up, he didn't feel like leavin but he had to. Bettie tried everything she could to make him stay, even trying to bribe him with more cookies, something that would have definitely worked if he was a child.
"Thanks, Grandma," he hugged her at the door. "i will visit again don't worry" he reassured her.
"That's what you say," she said. "well at least you try to visit unlike that father of yours who jjust sends invites and has his secretary handle anything concerning me. I don't know why I'd be going to that house party for his damned birthday."
"What house party?" Alexander asked.
Bettie looked confused. "The family is…he didn't send you an invite, did he?"
"Was he the one who organized it?" Alexander asked.
Bettie looked at him in that pitiful way he disliked. "Alex…"
"Did he?"
"I'll have a word with him, I promise," Bettie said. "Yours must have gotten lost…"
But Alexander wasn't listening any longer. Just like that, an arrow of pain shot through his chest and spread the pain through his body. He stepped away from Bettie and headed down the stairs.
"I'll send him a gift," Alexander said.
Bettie could not say anything more as Alexander entered his car. He waved at her and pulled out of her driveway, and couldn't help but wonder how much his father hated him not to have him invited to his birthday party. He felt a sudden sense of isolation but reminded himself he had Bettie. If the world turned sour for him, Bettie would always be there to put a cheer on his face.
He managed a smile. This was how he had learned to survive.