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“Gramps, you okay?” I ask, stepping closer to him.
“This is the fourth Coke I’ve bought for your grandma since she’s been gone. Every morning when I go to the filling station, I pick up a newspaper, a cup of coffee, and a Coke for your grandma. I did it every day for fifty years, and I just can’t seem to get out of the habit.”
“I’m sure it will just take time, Gramps,” I say, taking a seat next to him.
“I don’t know that I ever want to remember not to buy her a coke. Then, it will actually feel real.”
“You could always drink the Coke yourself,” I joke. “Then, you’ll never have to stop buying it.”
He laughs. “I guess so. But it’s never quite the same.”
“I know it’s not.”
“Shane, I want to talk to you about something. Something important. I’m sorry I haven’t brought it up before now, but I’ve just been trying to process everything.”
I grab myself a bottle of water out of the fridge before sitting down and getting ready to listen. “Okay, Gramps, lay it on me.”
“A few years ago, your grandma and I sat down and talked about what the future would look like when one of us passed on. I always assumed that I would go first, but either way, we had a plan in place.” He takes a deep breath. “We decided that whoever was left behind would move out of here and let you get on with your life.”
“What?” I say, completely taken back by his words.
“A few years ago, we found a nice little retirement community over in Elmdale, and I called them up yesterday. They have a spot for me.”
“Whoa, Grandpa, I don’t want you to think you have to move out. This is your house. I will never ask you to leave it.”
He leans in close, “No, son, this isyourhouse. It has been for a long time. And as much as I love living here with you, it’s time you get on with your own life. Ask that pretty girl of yours to move in here with you and start your lives together.”
“But,” I stammer. “Those senior communities can be awful, and I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
He laughs. “Your grandma and I have had some friends who moved in there, and they seem to enjoy it. I’ll be fine. Being around other people will be good for me. It’ll help me keep my mind off things.”
“You’ve got me to keep you company,” I say, feeling a little offended.
“But son, you have a job and a life. You can’t spend all your time here with me. I’ll be around other old farts with nothing else to do with their time.” He points his finger at me. “And I expect you to come to visit me all the time.”
I’m not quite sure how to process all of this. First, I lose my grandma, and now, I’m losing Grandpa. No matter what, they’ve always been here for me—right here in this house. I’m not quite sure that I’ll know what to do without them.
But I take a moment to breathe and realize that this isn’t about me. This is about Grandpa. He has lost his wife, and I can only imagine how empty that must make one feel. And now, he’s just trying to do something that makes him feel a little more whole again.
Who am I to argue with that?
He interrupts my thoughts. “So, this girl of yours…”
“Yeah?”
“Is she the one?”
An unintentional smile crosses my lips. “Yeah, I think she is.”
“Then, do me a favor. Don’t wait too long to seal the deal. You never know how many moments you have left. I had a lifetime with your Grandma, and it wasn’t nearly enough.”
Damn.
That hits me right in the feels. Jenna and I have been doing great, and honestly, we’ve been through a lot in our short time together. I don’t want to freak her out by moving too fast, but maybe Grandpa has a point.
Maybe it’s about time to think about the future and decide my next steps.
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