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Kayla didn't run when she saw me approaching. She stood on the wet sidewalk, her head bowed, her shoulders shivering beneath her damp coat.

"Hello, Kayla," I said softly, holding the umbrella over her head to shield her from the freezing rain.

"Hi, Grandpa," she whispered, her voice trembling. She didn't look up at my face. She kept her eyes fixed on her muddy sneakers.

"It's cold out here," I said gently. "Why don't you come inside? I'll have Grandma make you some hot chocolate."

Kayla let out a small, ragged breath, and when she finally looked up at me, tears were streaming down her face, mixing with the raindrops on her cheeks.

"I... I don't think Grandma wants to see me," she sobbed softly. "Not after what happened at the party."

I reached out, taking her cold hand in mine, and squeezed it gently. "Your grandmother loves you, Kayla. She has loved you since the second you were born."

I led her across the street, through the front entrance, and into the warm, fragrant dining room of the new Gloria’s Corner.

The restaurant was quiet now, the remaining guests having departed for the evening. Jazz music played softly from the ceiling speakers, and the warm yellow lights cast a gentle glow across the polished cherry wood tables.

Gloria stepped out of the kitchen holding a tray of clean glassware. When she saw Kayla standing near the entrance, she froze.

The glass tray rattled slightly in her hands.

Kayla took a hesitant step forward, wiping her face with her sleeve. "Grandma... I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Gloria set the tray down on the nearest table. She didn't say a word. She just opened her arms wide.

Kayla burst into tears and ran across the floor, burying her face into her grandmother's shoulder. Gloria wrapped her arms tightly around the eighteen-year-old girl, holding her close, stroking her damp hair, resting her cheek against the top of her head.

"It's okay, my sweet girl," Gloria whispered, tears shining in her own eyes. "It's okay. You're home."

We sat together in a quiet corner booth. Gloria brought out a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with homemade marshmallows and a warm slice of peach cobbler.

Kayla ate quietly, her hands still shaking slightly.

"I didn't know, Grandma," Kayla confessed, looking down at her mug. "I swear I didn't know what Mom and Dad were doing. I knew Mom was being picky about the food, but I didn't know she sent you that crazy list. I didn't know you stayed up for two nights."

"I know, sweetheart," Gloria said gently, reaching across the table to hold her hand. "You didn't make the list."

"When Mom announced we were going to Rosewood," Kayla continued, her voice filled with deep shame, "I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to stay in the yard. But Mom grabbed my arm and said I was being ungrateful if I didn't go. My friends were all watching... I was a coward, Grandma. I should have stayed with you."

"You were an eighteen-year-old girl put in a terrible position by adults who should have known better," I told her firmly. "You don't carry their guilt, Kayla."

Kayla looked up, her eyes filled with pain. "Everything is falling apart at home, Grandpa. Dad lost his job. His car was repossessed. Mom's parents lost their investment firm, and they're fighting every single night. Mom and Dad are getting a divorce."

Gloria and I exchanged a quiet, heavy look. We weren't surprised. A marriage built on greed, vanity, and superficial luxury always crumbles the moment the money disappears.

"Where are you staying, Kayla?" Gloria asked gently.

"I moved into a small dormitory at the community college," Kayla revealed softly. "I withdrew from the expensive private school. I couldn't let Dad take out more fraudulent loans for me. I got a part-time job at the campus library."

Gloria looked at me, a soft, beautiful expression entering her eyes.

I smiled and nodded before she even spoke.

"Kayla," Gloria said, taking her granddaughter's hands into her own. "You don't need to work at the library. We need a brilliant, wonderful young woman to run our digital reservations and manage our weekend catering events right here. It pays very well... and it comes with free peach cobbler every single day."