I’d barely been able to catch my breath after leaving the house. Every step forward seemed like it came at a cost, as if I were leaving pieces of myself in my wake. But I needed this visit, a final goodbye to a man who had been my steady light after Dad was gone, someone who’d taught me how to balance accounts, how to shoulder the weight of a business, how to find myself.

As I walked into the familiar corridors of the nursing home, the antiseptic smell stung my nose, reminding me of every visit, of the faint warmth in my grandfather’s gaze that always soothed the worst parts of my day. I found him in his favorite armchair by the window, light streaming onto his face, making him look every bit the strong, quiet force he’d always been for me. He looked up and smiled as I approached, but there was a question in his eyes, as if he already knew why I’d come today.

"Grandpa," I managed, my voice soft, barely audible as I sat beside him. "I... I wanted to thank you. For everything."

He placed a gentle, weathered hand over mine. "I’m proud of you, Sabrina. You've come so far."

I felt the familiar burn in my eyes, and before I knew it, tears slid down my cheeks, uninvited and impossible to stop. “I’ll keep making you proud. Even if it’s from a little further away.”

His gaze softened, and he gave a small nod, swallowing his own emotions. "That's all I ask, sweetheart."

I took a deep breath, letting his words sink in, but my voice came out shakier than I’d like. “You know, you’re just saying that because you’re my grandpa. Bound by the law of unconditional love and all that.”

He chuckled, the sound rich and familiar, like a soft blanket on a cold day. “Ah, but I’m also a retired lawyer, remember? I know a thing or two about judgment.”

“Oh, I know.” I smiled, rolling my eyes. “You’re like the master of judgment.”

“Master of judgment?” he raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. “Don’t forget—I’m also the master of checkers, Scrabble, and—let’s not forget—pancake-flipping. Who taught you those skills, young lady?”

“You didn’t ‘teach’ me, you just cheated less when I got older.” I nudged his shoulder lightly, letting out a small laugh as he raised both hands as if conceding. “Besides, I think I was flipping pancakes better than you by age twelve.”

“Ah,” he said, nodding with a wise, exaggerated look. “That’s called a legacy, Sabrina. A master leaves the apprentice his skills, and then watches them thrive.”

“Oh, is that what it’s called?” I teased, feeling lighter, the tension between us melting away. “And here I thought it was just you letting me ‘accidentally’ win so I’d want to make you breakfast every Sunday.”

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with the warmth of countless Sunday mornings. “Now that,” he said, lowering his voice to a mock-conspiratorial tone, “was just good strategy.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “You know, Grandpa, you’re lucky you’re cute. Otherwise, you’d be in trouble for admitting you used me to get free pancakes.”

“Used you?” He put a hand to his chest, pretending to be wounded. “You wound me, child. I was merely a humble old man, teaching his granddaughter the fine art of the griddle.”

I let out a snort, swiping at a stray tear. “Okay, Grandpa,” I said, smiling. “We’ll pretend that’s the truth. Just for today.”

He squeezed my hand, leaning in a little closer. “You were always smarter than me, Sabrina. That’s why I never needed to worry about you.”

“Even now?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He nodded, giving my hand a little shake. “Especially now. You have your father’s strength and your mother’s kindness, Sabrina. That’s what makes you special, not the house or the company. I know you’re doing what you need to do.”

A quiet settled over us, one of those moments where neither of us had to say anything because we understood. And I knew that even though I’d be leaving, part of me would always be here with him.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, not wanting him to hear the worry there.

“I’ve got my crossword puzzles, my nosy neighbors, and the nurses who pretend I’m charming,” he replied, flashing a grin. “And, you know, the occasional visit from my granddaughter to make sure I’m not scaring off the staff.”

“Just don’t get too bold with the nurses, okay? I’m not ready to hear you’re causing trouble around here.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he said with a wink. “They like a little trouble. Keeps life interesting.”

I shook my head, laughing. “I can’t believe this is real life. You’re incorrigible.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not proud of it,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring pat. “Now, no more worrying. Go out there and make your own trouble.”

I wanted to stay in that moment, wanted to cling to every word and store it in a corner of my mind I could revisit anytime. But the goodbye was looming, and no amount of warm words could erase that. He must have felt it too, because his expression softened, and he took my hand, folding it between both of his.

“You’ll come back and visit me, won’t you?” he asked, a bit of that rare vulnerability slipping through.

“Of course, Grandpa,” I whispered, my voice tight as I fought back a fresh wave of tears. “You’ll always be my favorite person to make pancakes for.”

“Well,” he said, his voice lowering to a gravelly whisper, as if he were revealing a great secret. “Then I guess you’d better bring syrup when you come. The good stuff.”

“Deal,” I said, laughing, even though my heart felt like it was breaking. “None of that imitation nonsense. Only the best for you.”

He leaned back, satisfied, his eyes misty as he looked at me. “Good girl. Now, off you go before I get soft on you and start crying too.”

For a moment, it was just us. No heaviness of past decisions or the ache of lingering disappointments. But just as I was about to say my goodbyes, footsteps sounded down the hall, and my heart sank as Harvey and Nicolas appeared, followed by Savvy.

Of all times.

They were smiling as they walked in, Savvy chattering into her phone. Her voice bubbled over, “Oh, Lovely, I’m sad you couldn’t join us today! And I know Harvey and Nic are missing our little pup, too!”

My eyes flickered to Harvey and Nicolas, standing at her sides like pillars, so involved in her life it was hard to remember when they’d felt that way about me. A hollow pang settled in my stomach. How many times had I begged them to get a pet together? Something that would feel like it was ours, a little commitment. But they’d both brushed it off, saying they didn’t have time for ‘childish’ things, that a pet was something people with real commitments like marriage made together.

Marriage. What was so hard about marrying me? To have a family, children m, loving husband. I swallowed, and that was why I had to leave. They couldn’t give me these things.

No, they didn’t want to.

I forced a smile, pushing the jealousy down. “Hey, guys.” I greeted them, trying to keep things light, even as I felt my heart tugging at the sight of Savvy between them, so at ease in a space that had once been ours.

Harvey’s gaze drifted over me, taking in the redness of my eyes. “You okay, Sabrina?” he asked, a hint of concern there, but tempered by a faint distance. Nicolas looked between me and my grandfather, clearly noticing the tears.

I laughed it off, shrugging. “Just saying goodbye. You know how Grandpa is, he always gets a little emotional.” I squeezed my grandfather’s hand, and he smiled, knowing full well why I’d chosen to brush off their questions.

Savvy, still on her phone, laughed suddenly at something Lovely had said. She turned, glancing at me with a smirk. “Oh, you know, Sabrina,” she began, as if we were friends, “we were just talking about how nice it would be if Lovely could come visit. She’s dying to meet Harvey and Nic’s dog. It’s just so cute!”

My throat tightened, and I kept my gaze locked on my grandfather, even as the words cut deeper than I’d expected.

“Sounds...nice,” I managed to say, forcing another smile as I straightened, brushing off my blouse. “Well, I should get going. I don’t want to intrude on your visit.”

But as I turned to leave, Harvey reached out, catching my arm. His grip was firm, like he wasn’t ready to let me walk out just yet. “Wait, Sabrina. We hardly got to see you. Can’t you stay a bit longer?”

I looked up at him, feeling the familiar pull of his presence, that soft ache that always felt like home but never seemed to be mine alone anymore. Nicolas stepped closer, his eyes scanning my face, searching, as if he were trying to understand something he hadn’t considered before.

And yet, all I could feel was the weight of Savvy’s gaze on me, the girl who had somehow, inexplicably, become a center in their lives that I couldn’t seem to break through.

I could still feel Harvey’s and Nicolas’s pleading eyes on me as I left the nursing home, their voices asking me to stay, to join them for just one meal. But I had no more time to spend on their empty gestures. “Sorry, I have to be at the jewelry show,” I’d said, and I could see the confusion ripple across their faces. They didn’t get it—how could they? They still thought I was theirs to hold onto when convenient, never expecting I might want more.

Two days later, Back at my apartment, I began to pack, folding clothes I’d barely worn and slipping in a few keepsakes I wanted close. My phone rang, and Savvy’s name lit up on the screen. Just what I needed.

“Hello?” I answered, trying to keep my tone light.

“Hey!” Savvy chirped, her voice sickly sweet. “I just got off the phone with Grandpa. Can you believe he’s actually considering leaving the entire nursing home to me? I mean, isn’t that so generous?”

I felt my stomach twist. She said it so casually, as if it were only natural for her to take over pieces of my life, piece by piece, without so much as a second thought. “Wow, that’s… surprising,” I managed, not trusting myself to say more.

“Yeah, Harvey and Nicolas have been so sweet about it too. They introduced me to their families last weekend. I don’t know what I’d do without them.” I could practically hear the smug smile on her face. “Anyway, just thought I’d share the news! Toodles!” She hung up before I could say anything else.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the phone, then shook my head. Savvy was someone else’s problem now.

“Bree,” I muttered, dialing my friend. “Can you drive me to the airport?”

Within minutes, Bree was at my door, her familiar black lipstick, studded jacket, and the unfazed expression I’d always counted on waiting for me. As I hauled my bags to the curb, her enormous, hostile Maine Coon, Morticia, eyed me from the passenger seat with that same feline judgment.

“I don’t know why you don’t just leave without telling them anything,” Bree said as I buckled myself in, her tone flippant but her gaze sharp. “Let them realize what they’ve lost after you’re gone.”

“Trust me, that’s exactly what I’m doing,” I replied, gripping the handle as we pulled into New York traffic. “But I just needed one last chance to say goodbye. Even if they’ll never understand.”

She snorted. “Oh, they won’t understand, all right. They never did. They were too busy scaring off anyone who ever showed any interest in you. Did you know, every single guy who tried to ask you out backed off after a single conversation with those two?”

I frowned, glancing at her. “I thought they were just… overprotective.”

“Overprotective?” Bree let out a sharp laugh. “More like they enjoyed watching people bully you. Every time some guy said you weren’t good enough, they’d get that strange, gleeful look in their eyes. But you were too wrapped up in them to see it.”

Morticia gave a yowl from her perch, as if agreeing. I tried to ignore the pang in my chest, focusing on the road ahead instead. “I stayed because it was my home. Not just because of them.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Bree replied with a knowing glance. “But don’t pretend they were ever right for you.”

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, Bree hit the brakes. “Oh, fantastic,” she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she looked in the rearview mirror.

I glanced back, and my heart sank. Harvey, Nicolas, and Savvy were standing on the steps of my apartment building, watching us. I hadn’t expected them to come after me, not this soon.

“Oh, look who decided to show up,” Bree said, rolling her eyes. “They couldn’t wait until you left, could they?”

As I climbed out of the car, Harvey and Nicolas stepped forward, their expressions a mix of confusion and hurt. “Sabrina,” Nicolas started, his voice unsteady. “Are you… leaving for good?”

I hesitated, my throat tightening as I felt the weight of their stares. “Yes,” I said, the word heavy and final.