Love In The Line Of Fire

ANYA POINT OF VIEW

As usual, I woke up early to clean the entire house. "This place is really beautiful." If my surroundings were always this lovely, I'd be motivated to wake up early every day.

I finished cooking and was setting the table for our breakfast when I noticed that Lolo was taking a long time to come downstairs. Usually, he'd be down by 6:30 am, brewing his coffee. But today, it was already past 7 am, and he still hadn't appeared.

I went upstairs to check on Lolo. "Lolo, it's time for breakfast. It's strange that you're sleeping in so late." I opened the curtain covering his bedroom door. There was no response, and he just lay there on his bed.

"Lolo?" I was getting really scared, especially since he wasn't moving. "Lolo!" I shook him gently to wake him up, but there was no reaction.

"Please open your eyes," I pleaded, and tears started falling. "Don't prank me like this. Wake up, please." "D-don't leave me, please. Wake up! We haven't even had a chance to bond that much yet, and now this?" I broke down in tears, shaking him gently to wake him up, but he didn't budge.

I sat down on the side, lost in thought, unable to accept that my grandfather was gone. Even though he wasn't my biological grandfather, I treated him like my real one. Why did this have to happen? I couldn't bear the pain in my chest.

Days passed, and I was alone in the house. I stared at the sky, thinking about my past mistakes. Why did I have to be deprived of the world? Why did I have to experience this?

My eyes were puffy from crying, as today was the day of Lolo's funeral. I couldn't bear to see him in his final resting place. "Anya?" Our neighbors were there, offering their condolences.

As we walked to the cemetery, the pain in my chest grew. My phone beeped while we were on the highway. I checked it, and it was from an unknown number.

"Your mission will begin! Just go with the flow!" I ignored the text. My heart was heavy, and I wasn't in the right mindset.

I burst into tears when Lolo was finally laid to rest. The others left, and I was the only one remaining. I knelt in front of his grave.

"Lolo, why? Why did you have to leave me too? Maybe in your next life, hope I'll be your real grandchild."

"Why didn't you tell me you're not feeling well? Why didn't you tell me you'd leave me so soon? Why?"

"I miss your voice greeting me and our laughter when we eat together. I didn't even get to take you to the places you wanted to see. You said you wanted to see my mother, didn't you? You said you were strong, so why did you leave me now?"

I didn't know how I got home, crying on the way. I didn't care about my look; all I cared about was the pain I felt. This was a mission I couldn't handle. I was trained to be physically strong, but I wasn't prepared for something like this.

I went upstairs and looked around Lolo's room. I saw the picture of us together. I was glad I took a picture with him. The photo was on his bedside table. I turned it over, and there was a note on the back.

"Anya, my grandchild, if you're reading this, I left a note in my drawer."

I quickly rummaged through his drawer and found two envelopes.

I looked at the writing on the outside of the envelope. "I want you to read this letter inside after a year has passed. Keep it safe." I didn't know why I had to wait a year to read it.

I looked at the other envelope, and it was addressed to me. But I bit my lip and tears fell.

I thought, "Do I have the right to read this? I'm not the real Anya who's supposed to read it." Whatever! I opened it. It was a letter.

"To my beloved grandchild Anya, If you're reading this, I know I'm no longer with you. Thank you, dear, for the few years we spent together. I've waited so long to be with you and see you. You were the only one I was waiting for before I left this world. Thank you for not disappointing me. Always take care, dear. Your grandfather loves you very much, and I'm sorry I won't be staying longer.

"There's something I didn't tell you, and I'll say it in this letter instead. There was an agreement between your father and Oliver's father, Craige Carter, that when the time is right, the two of you would get married. The Carters owe us a great debt because your father helped them when Craige was on the brink of death. As a token of gratitude, he promised to marry you to his son. Your father agreed so that you could live a life of luxury and not going to struggle. I hope you won't back out of that agreement. They'll be good to you, and I know Oliver won't neglect you."

I don't know how many buckets of tears I've cried. I'm exhausted from crying, but I couldn't stop.

Another thing I couldn't accept was being married to a 40-year-old? Were my father and grandfather really okay with that? Just because I joked about having a sugar daddy? I regret saying that now.

Where was the real Anya? I wish she was the one who had to deal with this. I wanted to run away, but then I remembered the text from the unknown number that morning. Was this what they meant by "just go with the flow"?

I'm okay with being married to anyone, but not someone old, please. I won't think about it for now. Craige Carter probably doesn't even remember that agreement, right? Even Oliver, right? Huhuhu