The Offer
"Don't misunderstand."
He was wearing a softer look this time. "I'm offering my help but I do not intend to overstep. Do what you feel is right. I just want to do what I can for Grandma." They lingered a bit at that moment before he let go and left completely.
She looked at the card and felt the trace of Owen's firm grasp on her hands. She can't tolerate Owen all of the other times but she can't deny that he did well there.
Lucy is still contemplating whether to take him on the offer, but his sincerity reaches her. He looked a bit more trustworthy in her eyes right now. She finally concluded that she might have judged him wrong all along.
She looked back at Nana. I'm happy that there are a lot of people who love you. She walked closer to Nana's bed and stroked her gray hair.
"You should get well soon." She kissed her forehead before settling herself on the sofa.
It's been a long day for Lucy… but she felt the night was even longer.
She thought about Owen's offer and the repercussions of taking it. Hours passed with her lying on the couch, hands on her belly, the fire alarm being the only thing distracting feature as she stared at the white hospital ceiling. She's helplessly looking for answers she knew were not there.
Lucy hears the rain outside. She loves the rain. The relaxing rhythm of raindrops that used to comfort her instantly all the other days just served as a pretty distraction from the intrusive thoughts in her head. She used to love nights like these but tonight was far from the cozy moments in her memories.
She checks the time on her phone. It's 2:35 AM and she still has a morning shift for tomorrow at the clinic.
Sleeping is a luxury for her nowadays. The worry and stress from possibly losing the most important person in her life kept crawling in her mind when she shut her eyes. Her body was tired and she knew she needed to rest too but she kept being pulled from slumber, anyway.
She puts her arm over her eyes, making another effort to get some shut-eye. Maybe she needs to refresh her mind before she can make a decision. Everything just seems overwhelming.
Lucy remembered Owen's distraught face as she pressed her arm on her head and the pressure got heavier.
Her impression of him changed when she looked into his eyes and felt the warmth of concern. She can tell that he truly cares.
The way his hands shivered lightly as he said his piece was uncharacteristic of his usual apathetic self. It'll be hard to imagine him being the same arrogant prick if she didn't witness it firsthand.
As much as she acknowledges the man's sincerity, can she really afford to be indebted to a person she just knew? She thought about how it would impact her self-respect and was suddenly repulsive. A swirl of offensive emotions took over her body. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist in vexation.
She let the feelings flow and relaxed for a bit. Is self-respect really important right now? Is her pride more important than Nana? Of course not… but she just can't shake off the feeling. Putting her emotions aside, asking for help from a stranger is inappropriate and it just hurts after all her hoo-ha about being strong and independent.
In the end, it only takes a snap of a finger from someone like Owen to solve the problem, a problem she can't even fathom realistically solving on her own.
How rich is he anyway? He has connections with the hospital that is significant enough that she only needs to mention his name and it'll be taken care of. Isn't he an MMA fighter? Did he make so much from his previous fights that he poured his money on medical institutions as an investment? Owen filled her thoughts again. Irritable and frustrated, she steered slowly away from thoughts about Owen's identity.
It's not the issue at hand right now.
As much as she believes Owen is sincere, is the offer really free? Is she not obliged to give back what she received? Isn't a debt of gratitude much more prisoning than a debt of money?
Lucy relaxed her arms and rested them on her frame. She glanced at Nana. Her Nana who sacrificed so much to give her a decent life.
She closed her eyes hard as the guilt swarmed through her bones. Forgive me for having second thoughts about this, Nana. It's my turn to take care of you now.
Her heart is heavy but she knows what to do. She just needed a few moments to settle her emotions so she could commit to pushing through.
She decided. I'll take it.
*ping!* Suddenly notification popped up on her phone. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness and read an email with the subject line: Employment: Top FIght Gym.
They finally sent it. She let out a silent sigh and turned the screen off.
She imagined herself being more excited than this when reading this contract confirmation, but right now she doesn't have enough energy or headspace to read through it.
She held the phone against her forehead and closed her eyes until a bulb lit up in her head.
A contract. That's it! She opened her eyes wide and lifted her upper body swiftly. The excitement caused her heart to pound and she was surprised by the amount of excitement she felt by the idea.
She should talk to Owen about making a contract so she can pay him back somehow. Maybe she can forego my pay, well not all of it, but she has no issues if she just gets enough for living expenses. Surely he will oblige. He has nothing to lose from this and she doesn't have to cower either. A win-win.
Lucy looked at Nana again and smiled satisfied with herself this time.