Thorns of Life

Chapter Eleven

I rushed up the stairs and saw Lily starring at me in a sort of trance, I grabbed her hand she gave me a sad smile. "It's bad momma isn't it?" She asked me, "That's why daddy had to go and see Gramdpa?" She asked me, she looked at the tears running down my cheeks.

"Lily... Flower, can you go please throw a weeks worth of clothes in your suite case, then can you help Herione, I will get Gin to help James with his, I need to make some phone calls, then we will talk on the way." I told my daughter, she nodded and ran off to her room and came out only a minute later. She then ran to Hermione's room and threw some clothes her suite case, we always had a diaper bag ready.

Soon, after many long painfully sad calls we were on the road, Ashton was driving because both me and Kiera were desperately trying not to cry. I was in the back of the car and I knew it was time to tell the kids. "Okay kids, do grandpa fell as you know, but it seems to be worse then that. He's having trouble breathing and they don't think he is going to make it. So we are going to go see him okay." I told them, James looked confused as did Hermione, but Ginny and Hermione started to cry.

I knew that there would be lots of people to see Frank. Twelve of the kids will see Frank, they are all married, so another twelve, and twenty five grand kids, almost fifty people.

As we drove the girls and I calmed down after awhile, I pulled put my iPhone and texted Nick.

~Hey... Can you do me a super big favour?~ I texted her! she replied immediately.

~What?~

~Jeff's dad is in the hospital and they don't think he will make it, can you manage the house or something and cancel or take over the reunion?~

~OMG! I'm so sorry Maria!~ she sent back, ~Anything you need, what about the kids?~

~The kids are with me and Keira on the way to Regina, thx.~ I replied.

~r u ok?~

~not really! but I will b. Ttyl~

~ttyl~ I turned off my phone and took a shift at driving, in an hour we pulled into the city and made out way to the hospital.

Jeff met us at the door and pulled me into a huge hug before kissing me then giving the kids each a hug as well as Keira and a smile towards Ashton. Then together we walked into the room where Frank laid awake, it looked like a family had just left, Ashton and Keira waited out in the hall as we went him.

"Hey..." He said, "How are you Maria?" He asked, he coughed a couple times but that was it.

"Could be better Frank." I told him, he chuckled and I leant down and gave him a hug which he gladly returned. He looked sick, but he looked happy.

"Hi grandpa." Lily said, it looked like she was trying not to cry with her hardest.

"Don't worry Lily Flower, Grandpa will be okay he will always be in your heart no matter what." Frank told my oldest daughter, he brushed her red hair out of her face and eyes, they were filled with tears but they didn't spill.

"It's okay to be sad Flower." Marge said from a chair next to Frank, Lily gave her grandmother a huge hug and began to cry. Ginny was placed on her grandfathers bed by Jeff and she grabbed his hand, the one without an IV in it.

"Grandpa Frank, will you say hi to Sadie for us and tell her she's a good puppy and will you take care of her?" She asked in a rush, "I hope you and her are happy together, up in heaven."

"Of coarse I will take care of Sadie. I'll always remind her that you guys love her." He told the small little girl, "But you have to promise to look after Magre." Ginny nodded and gave him a hug with tears running down her cheeks, "It will be okay Gin." He whispered softly into her ear, I could see tears threatening to spill in Franks eyes as well. He didn't want to leave us all sad and alone.

Ginny jumped down and Frank began to tell James how he had to make sure his daddy taught him sports and took good care off him, James might mot remember this day but I could tell by the look in Jeff's eyes that he made a promise to his father to teach James how to throw a ball and play hokey or soccer or anything else out boy wanted to play.

Frank then whispered words into Hermione's small ears and told her that he loved her before Jeff said goodbye for today and we left the room I decided to take the kids to the hotel where we had a conjoined room, Jeff would stay in one room with James and me and the girls would stay in the other. The girls had one of those bunk bed rooms and there was a tv in there for them, we all laid down, Hermione in her cot, and it wasn't long till we drifted into a well needed nap.