Chapter 306: Precious Life
Panic. Complete and total panic.
There were so many things the two of them were supposed to do together. Even just hours before she apparently died, Irene’s grandmother was looking forward to the stories she was going to tell her.
Irene’s words were caught in her throat as her mother stood there, shrinking at the sight of her daughter, emotionlessly staring at her because of the shock she was experiencing.
Rochelle rushed forward and grasped her daughter’s shoulders. She silently pleaded for more emotion than that. As usual, she felt like the villain in Irene’s life, only there to deliver her bad news.
"That’s impossible," Irene managed to say, her voice hollow. "She told me she was looking forward to everything I had learned while traveling. Grandmother was so energetic last night. There’s no way this is possible."
Irene shrank away from her mother’s touch and pulled her blankets off. She rushed towards clothing as she clumsily slipped on whatever she could find. Having gotten used to the cold weather for so long, she was in a tunic that was a bit too warm for Chemois, but not considering the day she was about to face.
"I’m sorry..." Rochelle didn’t know what else to say. An apology would have to suffice because it was clear Irene was going to go to her grandmother regardless. "Please take care."
Irene washed her face and brushed through her wavy, red hair before quickly rushing down the large wooden staircase and escaping the house. Everything felt impossibly time sensitive yet she hadn’t had a chance to process her emotions after being woken up in such a harsh way.
It was only when she was on the back of Sammy and riding the somewhat long trip to her grandmother’s house that reality was starting to set in. Her mother gave her news likely presented to her by her father or Arne. Those two wouldn’t lie or mislead.
There had to be truth to what her mother said.
At this, tears of acceptance fell out of Irene’s eyes and they were swept backwards towards her hair because of how quickly she was riding. A few certainly fell to her lips but most were whipped away by her hair and the wind.