Isaac

The night before the final round of the competition, Beth and I are watching a movie with Gran. Just as the credits roll, I glance over at Gran to see her shaking with convulsions. I leap up and run to her side to make sure she doesn't fall off the couch.

Beth is calm as always, calling 911 and instructing me to put a cushion under Gran's head and turn her onto her side to ensure if she vomits, she doesn't inhale it into her lungs.

Sheputs a hospital bag together and hands it to me. Once the paramedics arrive, I ride over in the ambulance with Gran and Beth follows behind.

The convulsions have stopped by the time we make it to the hospital, but Gran is far from well. She is breathing shallowly and looks impossibly pale. She moans occasionally.

I fill out her paperwork, then join Beth and Gran in the hospital room. It is sterile and cold, but the nurses are kind. They have stabilized Gran, and she is still being monitored closely.

We stay in Gran's room all night. At some point, Beth closes her eyes and falls asleep. Sleep eludes me, though. The memory of Gran shaking still rattles me. She's my only living relative other than Polly, and the thought of losing her is terrifying. I'm not prepared to give her up. I don't think I'll ever be.

She looks tiny in the bed, surrounded by beeping monitors and fluid bags. I hold Gran's hand in mine and trace the veins on her hand. 

"How's she doing?" Beth asks hours later, sitting up and blinking at her surroundings.

"Same," I say. She squeezes my knee.

"Hang in there. Gran is strong. She'll pull out of it."

"I hope so," I say.

Beth checks her texts and sighs.

"Nothing from Mike yet. We're were hoping to prove Selena cheated, but if we don't have evidence, I have to go up against her in the final round. Her app is more polished, she's done more research. Do you know he's already lined up buyers and proven a demand. What if I get nervous and freeze up? What if they think I'm not charging enough for my app, or too much? What if the app has problems again?"

"Relax," I say. "If Mike fixed it and no one has had a chance to touch it, you should be fine, right?"

"It just seems like everything's falling apart. Sophie's accident. Peter doing that deal behind my back and lying to me about his reasons for buying our house. Gran is sick. And now to top it off, Olivia has turned into a self-absorbed and sometimes rude kid almost overnight."

"It seems to me Olivia is wanting to grow up and assert herself a little," I say. "She seems like a good kid, but she will make mistakes. That's normal. The best you can hope to do is guide her."

"I have more influence with her than you think!" Beth says. "I wonder if I should have even entered the competion? Olivia needs me, and I haven't been there for her."

It's unnerving to see Beth agitated like this. She's usually my rock. Beth has to go on the stage in a few hours and try to win the Next Big Thing. If she continues with this downward spiral, she doesn't have a shot.

"Relax, honey. You've got this," I say, wrapping my arms around her and kissing the top of her head. "When I first came to live with Gran, I was pretty messed up. She told me sometimes life is supposed to overwhelm you, to break you down and rebuild you. She told me I should consider it a compliment, because it meant that God thinks I'm strong enough to handle hard things."

"I don't mind handling hard things. I just feel like I've been neglecting my duty," Beth says.

"And what about your duty to your dreams?" I say. "Here, give me your hand."

"What?" Beth looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Give me your hand."

"Fine," she sighs, stretching out her hand.

I trace the lines on her palm.

"Isaac, you don't even know how to read palms," she says with a hint of a grin. "Besides, I already know I like cheese pizza."

"Silence, woman. I'm trying to focus here," I pretend to complain.

Beth bites her cheek to keep from smiling.

I focus intently on her hand. "This long, straight line from your index finger to your pinkie is your Head line. It shows that you are a deep thinker, but sometimes you overanalyze your decisions."

"Why, Isaac! Don't tell me you actually learned how to do this?" Beth teases.

"You doubted me, woman? Now hush up woman and let me focus." I am rewarded with a full smile this time.

"This is the heart line."

"I see it," Beth says. "It's split in two. What does that mean?"

"It you means you put your emotions on the back burner to meet others' needs."

"Not bad," Beth admits. "What about this line that curves around the thumb?

"That's the life line. It tells me you're a rock that people can count on to stay strong in difficult times."

Beth's eyes tear up.

"I don't feel strong right now."

"Don't doubt yourself, Beth," I say. "You and Gran are the strongest people I know. I don't know what would have happened to me if it weren't for the two of you. Everything good I've ever done since has only happened because you two believed in me and loved me. I spent the whole night thinking about what I would do if I lost Gran. The thought is terrifying, but seeing you sleeping there and looking so pretty, I can't tell you how much comfort it gives me to know that when the time comes, you'll be by my side."

Beth takes my hand and holds it against her cheek, then turns her head and kisses my palm.

"Of course I'll be there. I'll always be there for you, Isaac."

She pulls down my hand, stretches my fingers out and touches my palm.

"These lines over here that cross each other? What do they mean?"

"They mean I've experienced deep personal betrayal," I say, my voice cracking. Beth brings my palm to her lips again and kisses the lines.

"And yet, look at you now. Look how many children you've helped."

"Think of all the children you will help when you create Brain Retain," I say. "An affordable app can go far in helping kids in low income areas."

Beth looks at the clock.

"It's time for me to leave," she says, leaning in to kiss my cheek. "I need to prep for the final round of the Next Big Thing."

"I wish I could be there to support you," I say.

"I know. You need to be here with Gran," Beth replies.

"There's no need to be scared, Beth. This is what you need to remember. It's not about the words you say, or if you freeze up. It's about the importance of your message. When you understand that, you realize you have nothing to fear and you have the freedom to focus on what's important—changing these kids' lives."

"If I can beat Selena."

"Don't worry about Selena. She's not your competition. Please. Do we really need one more way to help the rich divide the gulf between the poor with a $1000 app?

"When you get up there, look those judges straight in the eye. If they try to shut you down, think of Nuhood being married off at ten because her parents don't see she has anything more to offer than her dowry. Think of Malala, who was shot in the head simply for believing she had the right to an education. Think of Olivia and her backpack full of cruel notes.

"Think of every child who ever had her dreams denied her because she couldn't get an education. Take all that righteous indignation and unleash it on them! Fight for these kids, Beth, fight like hell and don't back down. You have it in you. Every kid deserves the right to a full education. Focus on that, and that's how you're going to win." 

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So poor Gran has to be hospitalized. Your thoughts on this chapter?

Today I am being featured in the Wattpad Block Party - yay! I wrote a post on How to Get Your Story Discovered on Wattpad. I'll leave a link below if you're interested to check it out. I'll also leave a link for the Giveaway. You have a chance to win a BORN OF SHADOW ebook and a dedication in RESTLESS HOPE. 

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Dedication for this chapter goes out to zoedinovi. A couple of years ago when I first posted BORN OF SHADOW on Wattpad, Zoe reached out and was very encouraging. I appreciated her kindness so much. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend you check out  her story Apartment, Eh? An American's Adventures in Canada.