Obsession Chapter 3 Part 1
CHAPTER 3 · PART ONE
Permission
Sara
Mom had agreed that I should follow Grandma to the US without any argument. She just looked at me, her eyes filled with understanding, and when I finally laid out the question—after circling it a dozen times—she softly said yes.
“Mom, will you allow me to do that?” I asked again, just to be sure.
“Yes, Sara. I can’t stop you from reconnecting with your grandma after all these years.”
I was honestly shocked. I’d expected protest—maybe a hesitant question or even a reluctant no. Instead, she opened her arms, and I rushed into them.
“Thank you, Mom,” I whispered, burying my face in her shoulder. “Thank you so much.”
We stayed like that for a while, her hand smoothing down my hair, my cheek pressed against her warmth.
I felt like some Disney character who’d gone from rags to riches—Cinderella, maybe. Or Tiana. Fairy tales didn’t feel so far-fetched anymore.
“Anything for you, Sara,” she whispered.
When we finally pulled apart, I noticed a shadow cross her face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked gently.
She hesitated, eyes flicking away. “What about us? Me and Betty—are you leaving us, or are we going together?”
Relief washed over me. I wrapped my arms around her again. “I already talked to Grandma. She insists you both come with me.”
“Wouldn’t that be… somehow?” she asked skeptically.
“What’s somehow is you still being a maid for Beatrice when Grandma is one of the richest women on the planet.”
Mom chuckled softly. “Betty said the same thing. She said the first thing we’ll do Monday morning is quit.”
“Yep. First thing Monday morning.”
She laughed. “I don’t want to work there anymore either.”
Still, doubt flickered in her eyes. “What if people think we’re mooching?”
I squeezed her hand. “You taught me not to care about what people who don’t know us think.”
“I don’t want to feel like a burden.”
“Simple. I’ll tell Grandma to give you a job that matches your PhD.”
She smiled. “Alright.”
When I stepped outside, Betty was already waiting by the door, arms crossed.
“What did she say?” she asked, barely breathing.
I smiled teasingly. “Guess.”
“Don’t play with me.”
I turned to walk away, and Betty lunged at me, tickling me until I collapsed in laughter.
“Stop it!” I squealed.
“Then tell me.”
“Yes. She said yes.”
Betty hugged me tightly, lifting me off the ground. “Thank God,” she whispered.
Phase one was complete.
One step closer to Grandma—and my fairytale ending.