Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 45

Emma smiled softly.

There are no secrets in front of someone who truly loves you.

“Grandma.” She slipped her arm through her grandmother’s and leaned on her

shoulder. “I want to go away to study. What do you think?”

Her grandmother was the only person she could really open up to.

Hearing this, her grandmother’s eyes sparkled. “Of course! I’ve still got some money saved up–don’t you worry.”

Emma felt her eyes sting and hugged her grandmother tightly around the waist. “Grandma, I have money now.”

Only her grandmother had always supported her, no matter what.

“That’s wonderful, Emmie, but what’s yours is yours. Grandma’s got a little nest egg just for you too.” Her grandmother stroked her hair and spoke gently.

“Grandma…” Emma melted into her grandmother’s affection, but worry tugged at her heart. “But if I go away, I might be gone for years. What if I miss you?”

“Silly girl, if you miss me, just call me on video. I’m still young, you know! I’ll be right here at home, not going anywhere. And when my Emmie comes back to start her life, I’ll be waiting for you. If you decide to live abroad, then I’ll go with you. But promise me, you won’t think of me as a burden, okay?”

“Grandma! How could you say that?” Emma said quickly. “Someday, I’ll take you to see the world. We’ll travel everywhere together!”

Her grandmother laughed and hugged her, patting her back just like she had when Emma was little and couldn’t sleep. “Well then, I’ll be waiting for my Emmie to take me on our grand adventure.”

That night, Emma slept next to her grandmother. It rained again in the middle of the night.

Lying there, Emma suddenly understood why she always slept so soundly on rainy nights. When she was a child, she would curl up with her grandmother on stormy evenings. Her grandmother would stroke her hair, tell her stories, and the sound of the rain outside would blend with her soft voice, soothing Emma into the deepest sleep.

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After that, her grandmother never again asked about Theodore or whether they’d argued.

Emma realized her grandmother hadn’t needed to ask–she probably understood everything without a word.

She slept so peacefully that morning, not waking until the sun was high overhead.

There was no alarm to jolt her awake.

Only then did she remember she’d forgotten to charge her phone last night. It must have died.

But she didn’t really feel like turning it back on. For now, being disconnected from the world felt wonderfully freeing.

After a night of rain, the morning sun was bright, but the air still carried the rich, damp scent of earth–a smell you only ever find in the countryside.

Her grandmother wasn’t home; she’d probably gone out to buy breakfast.

Emma stepped into the yard and took a deep breath.

In one corner stood a sunroom, its glass walls gleaming in the morning light. Inside, it was empty except for a ballet barre.

This had once been her practice studio. She hadn’t set foot in there for five years; it was probably a storage room by now.

But she no longer felt afraid of her memories. She found herself walking over and turning the door handle.

She stopped short the moment she stepped inside.

It was spotless. Not a speck of dust, not a single box out of place–just as it had been five years ago.

She ran her fingers along the barre. Not even a trace of dust clung to her hand.

Had her grandmother been cleaning this room every day?

The sunroom’s high glass ceiling allowed room for her leaps and spins–her grandmother had commissioned it just for her.

Emma couldn’t resist. She drew back all the curtains, letting sunlight flood in from every angle. Standing at the barre, her muscles began to itch with an old, familiar longing.

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At last, she lifted her injured leg and rested it on the barre.

A surge of emotion rose from deep within her. As tears welled in her eyes, she leaned forward and stretched, letting her soul remember what it had always loved.

Chapter 46

Chapter 46