CHAPTER 2

NICOLE’S DEATH

Reiyal’s eyelids flutter open, the sterile white of the hospital room blurring into focus. Her head throbs, and the sharp scent of antiseptic stings her nose. Her grandmother, Nazia, sits slumped in a chair beside the bed, her fingers trembling as they cradle Reiyal’s delicate hand. Nazia’s eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, her cheeks streaked with dried tears.

Reiyal feels weak, her forehead wrapped in a thick bandage, an IV needle taped to her forearm, and a plastic oxygen mask covering her mouth. She struggles to speak, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. “Grandma… where’s Mom?” she rasps, her heart pounding with dread.

Nazia’s eyes well up again, fresh tears spilling over. She lowers her head onto Reiyal’s hand, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. “My child… your mother… she’s not with us anymore.”

The words hit Reiyal like a physical blow. Her world tilts, the room spinning. She can’t believe it—won’t believe it. With a sudden jerk, she pulls her hand free, clutching her chest as if to steady her racing heart. Her face twists in denial and anger. “No, Grandma, that’s not possible! Mom wouldn’t leave me. No, no, no!” Her voice cracks, rising in desperation.

Nazia lifts her head, her gaze locking onto Reiyal’s. The pain of losing a daughter is raw in her voice. “It’s true, Reiyal.” Her words are heavy, each syllable weighed down by grief.

Reiyal struggles to sit up, her body shaking, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She stares at Nazia, searching for any sign that this is a cruel joke. “I want to see her, Nani. Just once. Please.”

Nazia hesitates, then nods slowly. She reaches into her purse, her hands unsteady as she pulls out her phone. She dials Reiyal’s grandfather, her voice trembling. “Reiyal is awake. She’s asking about Nicole… she wants to see her.”

A pause. The grandfather’s voice is gruff with sorrow. “I understand… but I don’t want her to be traumatized. Nicole’s body… it’s not in a condition to be seen.”

Nazia looks back at Reiyal, whose eyes haven’t left her face. Reiyal’s lips tremble as she silently pleads for an answer. Nazia holds out the phone. “Here, talk to him yourself.”

Reiyal’s hands shake as she takes the phone, pressing it to her ear. “Grandfather?” Her voice is small, fragile.

“Yes, Reiyal. Speak.”

“I want to see Mom. Nani says she’s… gone. I need to see her. Just one last time.” Tears stream down her cheeks, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

On the other end, the grandfather’s voice breaks. “My child, your mother… she’s not in a state to be seen. I’m so sorry.”

Reiyal’s resolve crumbles. She sobs openly, her body wracked with grief. “Please, Grandfather. I need to see her. Just once. Please.”

Her cries echo in the sterile room, a heartbreaking plea for closure in a world that’s been shattered.

Grenard’s heart shatters the moment he hears Reiyal cry for the first time. Over the phone, her sobs are raw and desperate, each one cutting deeper than the last. He has never heard her like this—no matter how tough things got, Reiyal always faced them with courage, her spirit unbroken. But today, the loss of her mother has broken her completely.

Nazia, helpless, takes the phone back from Reiyal, who collapses into her arms, burying her face in her grandmother’s shoulder. Her small body trembles violently, her cries muffled but unstoppable. Nazia holds her close, stroking her hair, her own eyes brimming with tears as she speaks into the phone, her voice thick with emotion: “Just let her see, Grenard. Look at how she’s suffering.”

There’s a heavy silence before Grenard finally replies, his voice choked, “Alright.” He ends the call, unable to bear the sound of his granddaughter’s grief any longer. In all these years, through every hardship, Reiyal had never shed a tear in front of him. But Nicole’s death has changed everything—Reiyal has lost not just her mother, but the center of her world.

For Grenard and Nazia, the pain of losing a daughter is unbearable. But for Reiyal, it feels as though her entire universe has ended. She clings to Nazia, her sobs echoing in the quiet hospital room, a child utterly shattered by loss.

Exhausted by crying Reiyal falls asleep, Nazia lay her down on bed, cover her tiny body with sheet. Nazia sit on chair and wips her face with handkerchief. Nazia’s hand slightly trembling. Reiyal is just 10 years old, how she will live without Nicole. This unanswered question keep provoking her heart.

ENJOY!!

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