Page 99 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty

Maisie played with one of the three golden necklaces she was wearing. “I knew you would be dear to me way before we even met, I just didn’t know who you were. The only thing Nathaniel saw was a bond bounding me to a girl with fiery hair. And when I first met you, I just knew. I believe in another lifetime we might have been sisters. Of course, you don’t have to believe in this–which is why I didn’t tell you sooner, I thought I’d scare you off–I do that a lot–and then it seemed inappropriate because we were trying to beat fate… but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me, Doe.”

I hugged her from the side. “You mean a whole lot to me too, Maisie.”

Trust wasn’t something I had easily, so we had our ups and downs at the beginning. But now, I couldn’t imagine a life without her as my friend.

She squeezed my hand and gave me a tight smile as we stopped in front of the big building where her grandmother was cared for.

“Are you okay?” I asked, brushing my thumb over hers to let her know I was here with her.

“I am. I’ve missed my grandmother. I’m just a little scared about the things we will find out,” she confessed, exhaling a little at unease.

“Me too, but whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

“Of course we will, we’re blessed by a goddess. I mean, who can say that...” She jokingly attempted to ease the tension, and I chuckled while pushing the door open.

The nursing home was lovely, with flowers drawn by hand on the walls and big windows giving a marvellous view of the gardens outside the building.

“How can I help you two?” A woman behind us asked kindly, and we turned around, our hands still interlinked. From the tightness she squeezed my hand, I assumed that Maisie wasn’t letting go of me any time soon.

A young woman dressed in white scrubs and a warm smile looked at us, waiting for an answer. I looked at her name on her name tag:Rina Golding.

“We’re here to visit Mairead Alderidge. I’m Maisie, her granddaughter,” Maisie explained, a little hesitant, which she normally never was.

Rina nodded with a soft smile. “I believe your mother called earlier today and informed us about your visit. You look just like her. I’ll take you to her, she’s in her room.”

She took us upstairs to a room with the tagAlderidgenext to the door.

“Hello, Mairead, I’ve got some visitors for you,” the nurse greeted the white-haired woman who sat in a rocking chair next to a window, watching a bird hop on the tree near the glass, snow falling from the branch.

Maisie stepped forward, and I remained behind in the shadows so that she had time to talk to her before she saw me.

“Amelia, sweetheart, you should be at school,” Mairead gaped with a low chuckle, taking Maisie’s hands in hers as she took a seat next to her. Since Maisie had told me that her grandmother confused her with her mother, I assumed that Amelia was her mum’s name.

“Take it easy, I’m downstairs in the common room if you need anything.” Nurse Rina left, leaving us to it.

“Amelia is my mother, I’m Mairead, your granddaughter.”

Her grandma laughed, “but silly, that’s my name.”

Maisie managed a smile, but it was clearly laced with sadness. “I know, Amelia named me after you and Alessandra.”

Mairead’s face twisted in confusion before she gasped and softly smiled, frowning at her granddaughter. “Alessandra, my sweet sister. She’s an angel now. Protecting me from the gates of heaven. Does she protect you too?”

Maisie nodded. “Yes, Nana, Alessandra is always by my side.”

The elderly woman touched the younger girl’s face, stroking her cheek with her fingers, before her face lit up. “Oh my pretty sun. I’ve missed you so much.”

Maisie squealed with delight and surprise, cupping her grandmother’s hand, which was still on her cheek. “You remember me!”

“Of course I do, there is only one girl who resembles the sun like you do. But why is your hair so short, my baby? It used to be so long, and I remember you running around in two braids every time you came to visit me.” Her old hands brushed through her chin-length hair, taking in the change.

Maisie giggled nervously, “well, last year we did experiments in science class and I accidentally burned the ends of my hair with the bunsen burner, so I had to cut it off. But I grew to really like it this way.”

I smiled to myself at the memory of the candid picture that hung in Jesse’s room from that day. He told me how furious she had been with him when his first thought was to shoot a picture as he saw her pout over the fact that one side of her hair was burned off to her shoulders. I would have told him how mean that was of him if it wasn’t their thing to bottle these embarrassing moments for them to laugh at in the future. Maisie had a picture of Jesse covered in mud with his glasses hanging half of his face, pinned to our wall as well.

“You were always a little clumsy,” her grandmother chuckled softly. Maisie sighed and stood up, glancing over to me, giving me a sign that I could come out of the shadows.

“Nana, there is someone–”

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