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She looked so different from the last tirayed even ht, and her dark brown eyes no longer twinkled

"Evie!" she cried, li to my bed She wrapped her thin ar "Gran" Her scent caston a rush ofat HavenGran and Mo arden; the soil had been so warh nine years and an apocalypse to see her again

Over her shoulder, I caught Aric’s gaze He stood in the doorway, his bearing tense Hadn’t I heard strained exchanges between them? I couldn’t remember I mouthed Thank you to him

Curt nod

Gran drew back and sat on the bed "Look at you! You’re all grown up And so beautiful" Her words did sound slurred "I was so worried when I first saw you" Was one corner of her lips turned down?

"Are you okay, Gran?"

"I’ll be fine We need to focus on you We have so s we needed to talk about--Mom’s death, the destruction of Haven, my relationship with Death--exhaustion swept over one

"Lord, you can barely keep your eyes open" She clucked her tongue and tucked the blanket aroundout For now, you’ve got to regain your strength Get sos other than sleeping Such as plotting the Erisly death

Still, my lids slid closed "Just for a e of the bed, brushingweather--any topic except those we needed to speak about

When I’d awakened around dinnertime, she had been beside me--not Aric But, as promised, he’d filled the room with plants and sunlaht et dressed She’d murmured, "Such pretty clothes Death has provided for you" But she hadn’t sounded approving

Now she laid aside the brush with a labored breath "I’m plu"

She sht up in a careless bun "Worry’s keptBut you’re on the ht as rain soon enough" Had she averted her eyes?

"Gran, how did you survive the Flash?"

"My facility was old, so there was an actual bo and headed down I was the only one to make it, which meant I had food and supplies aplenty"

Everyone had told , but I’d believed "I tried to reach you"