{CHAPTER TWENTY SIX}

                                  ~~~~~~~~

"Mom, what happened to her? Why did the nanny act that way?" I inquired as I caught my mom in the midst of tidying up the shattered glass cup upon my return indoors.

Mom wiped her hands on the back of her baggy jeans, releasing a weary sigh, "I don't know what came over her, sweetie. I'm just as surprised as you are."

"You know what, I'm heading straight to her. She better have an explanation," I muttered, trying to ascend the stairs, only to be halted by Mom's grasp.

With a sympathetic expression, Mom remarked, "Cut her some slack. She seemed stressed out; today must have been overwhelming for her." Drawing closer, she cupped my face in her hands, "I understand you're disappointed. Today was supposed to be special, but it got ruined. Give her some space to gather herself, okay?"

I absolutely got where Mom was coming from, she was on point; the nanny was likely just stressed with all the tasks at hand.

"But, Mom..." I hesitated, contemplating whether to disclose what Jackson had said regarding the nanny stare at him earlier. Yet, I shrugged it off; he probably just made it up.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Oh, nothing, Mom, forget it. I'm just... my thoughts are all over the place, but I'll follow your advice, I'll leave her alone," I said, attempting to shift away from the topic I nearly broached.

Mom nodded with a smile as she walked over to the couch to pick up the remote and switch off the TV.

Scanning the room without catching sight of Phil, I asked, "Is Phil already asleep?"

"Oh, yes. He wouldn't stop bugging me about playing his video games and ended up crashing in bed, that cheeky boy," Mom chuckled with a smile, radiating so much love in her eyes.

I clucked my tongue and responded, "Aw, that's a bummer. We had a deal to read him a bedtime story tonight. But since he's crashed out, looks like I'll have to save that for later," I sighed in relief, feeling it wasn't the right time for it.

After giving Mom a goodnight kiss, I made my way to my room.

"Hey Lisa, how's it hanging?" I greeted her as she finally picked up after a few rings.

I dialed Lisa to see how she and her mom were holding up; I genuinely missed her. Maybe having her around would've made things a whole lot brighter.

"Hey, Hanna. I'm hanging in there, I suppose."

"And your mom? What's the word from the doctor?" I probed further.

Lisa's voice quivered, a lump catching in her throat. I could sense her struggle before she managed, "The doctor said she needs some rest for now, and hopefully, she'll improve."

"Oh, that's great to hear. I'm glad she's doing better. And you, Lisa? Have you managed to eat or rest?" I asked, realizing how stressed she must be. Lisa needed me, and I needed her. It's just tough that we can't be there for each other right now.

"Hanna, I'm hanging in there. I just want my mom to get better," she murmured, her lips moist from nervousness.

"Are you sure? And what's the situation with your dad?"

"Oh, Dad's on his way. His leave just got approved, so he'll be flying in tomorrow morning," she shared.

"Gotcha. If you ever need me, I can always swing by," I mentioned, knowing that she'd likely decline but wanting to offer my support regardless.

"I'll handle it, Hanna. Dad's on his way, so it'll be smoother for me... By the way, how did it go with Jackson's visit?" she inquired eagerly.

Her question brought back the chaos of the day. I debated whether to share the details of what happened or spare her the burden, knowing she had her struggles to deal with.

After a brief pause, I hesitantly replied, "It was alright, things went fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a bit off. Is everything okay? Did something happen?" she asked, picking up on my subdued tone.

"Nothing really went down, just feeling blue without you around," I quickly reassured, grabbing a fib to calm her nerves.

"I know right? Such a letdown. I was so pumped to meet him too," she empathized, echoing my disappointment.

I was relieved to hear some positive news from Lisa, considering everything with her mom. The day didn't seem as bleak. We wrapped up the call on a good note as Lisa asked to speak with the doctor, so I had to let her go.

With a heavy thud, I collapsed onto my bed after the call, my eyes gazing up at the white ceiling as my hair swirled around me. Taking a deep breath to accept the recent events, I let my mind wander. Just as I was engrossed in my thoughts, my phone buzzed, pulling me back to reality. I quickly checked the screen to see the sender and read the message with a soft exhale.

HENRY> Hi Hanna, you promised we'd meet today, remember?

"Ohmigod, Henry! I completely forgot," I blurted out to myself upon reading the message.

I completely blanked on the arrangement with Henry. I managed to talk him into sorting things out with Lisa, and in return, he wanted my help with the date plans with her. Originally, it was set for tomorrow after catching up with Jacskon today, but with Lisa out of the picture, it felt pointless. Still, I couldn't say no. I guess I should fill him in on Lisa's mom's health issue.

I snatched up my phone and shot over the address for our meetup spot.

Me> Let's meet at the local store close to the pharmacy store. It's quite late, so I doubt any other place would be open. Plus, it's known for its quiet and uncrowded environment. I'll head out in the next 45 minutes, see you soon.

Right in the middle of getting ready, my phone rang, and to my surprise, it was Henry on the line.

"Why's he calling now? I just texted him where and when to meet," I muttered, eyeing the screen before answering.

Right when I answered, his voice chimed like a bell, throwing me off with the question he asked.

"Hey, Hanna, are we still meeting up?"

"Ugh, I don't get it, I had literally just sent you the address and time before your call popped in," I said, confused.

"I swear, I didn't get any text, and I've been staring at my messages, but there's no text," he replied, equally confused.

Shocked, I yanked the phone away from my ear, frantically sifting through my messages, only to realize my blunder – I had sent the message to the wrong person.

"Jackson?! And not once, but twice! Fuck!" I cursed out loud, running my fingers through my hair in frustration, my face a portrait of annoyance.

"What's the problem, Hanna?" Henry asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'll just resend you the address," I responded before ending the call.

I snatched my coat, car keys, and trusty night boots before heading out. Luckily, everyone was fast asleep, so I didn't fret about waking anyone or having to justify my late-night whereabouts to Mom.

Arriving at the spot, much to my surprise, there was Henry, already waiting for me with his wavy hair perfectly styled for a late-night meeting. I walked over to him and took my seat, noticing the two soda drinks he had already ordered.

"That was quick, it's like you practically flew down here," I chuckled with a friendly grin as I settled across from him. His laughter followed, but I sensed my remark had caught him off guard.

"I just got here 5 minutes ago, and I walked," he said with a clever look, stressing his choice of walking over flying.

"Well, for someone who walked here and arrived early, you're pretty much quicker than a plane," I quipped with a grin, acknowledging his speedy arrival despite his chosen mode of transport.

We both cracked up at my jokes, my laughter morphing into a cough that led me to instinctively muffle it with one hand while gently patting my chest with the other to ease the discomfort.

"Here, grab this," Henry reached out the soda can to me, subtly nudging me to take a sip to help calm my cough.

I was a bit unsure at first since the soda wasn't my go-to choice, but as the cough intensified, I had no other option. I took the soda from him with a smile, took a sip, and thankfully, the cough eased off shortly after.

Right after my cough subsided, Henry and I delved into a deep conversation, but in a split second, my head began to throb, and dizziness washed over me. Everything blurred, including Henry seated opposite me. I struggled to see or hear clearly, but I could make out his mouth curling into a mischievous grin. He glanced around the empty restaurant, then exchanged sly smiles with the owner before fixing his gaze on me with that same cunning expression. Confusion clouded my mind as he swiftly grabbed the soda can I had sipped from. I could barely hear his laughter as realization dawned on me that my drink had been tampered with. And in that moment, everything went dark...

But why?.....