He sips the small plastic cup of apple juice that came with his morning breakfast and places it back on his tray. He stabs a couple pieces of scrambled egg and slowly raises the fork to his mouth before he hears the door close behind him. “Morning dad.” a voice says; feet shuffle along the floor. He doesn’t have to see to figure out who it is, he recognizes the voice. “Hey kiddo, how are yuh?” he says, turning his head to the left as far as he can. He places the fork of egg down onto his tray in a plop. “I’m lovely.” the voice says, sounding nearer. A woman with long brunette hair enters his vision and begins to undo her emerald scarf from her neck. “How are you, dad?” Anne says with a smile. She walks over and places a kiss on his forehead. “Phew! Good lord, your lips are freezing!” he says urgently, shaking his head in a dramatic shudder. “Ha-ha, well it is pretty cold outside, dad. It took a good fifteen minutes to warm the van.” she says. “I should have placed my hands on your neck and scared you like last time.” She smiles and winks. She begins to shake with a soft-belly laugh at the thought of embracing her father’s neck with her ice-cold hands, again. “Oh god, not that again.” he says with a sharp glance. “I damn-near soiled myself last time!” Anne’s chuckle turns into a bursting fit of laughter as her father relives her cruel-but-loving prank. He was one of the few who could make her laugh as hard, and she loved him for it. He begins to laugh with her—tiny, squeaky farts slip out beneath his covers, matching the beat at which he laughs. They laugh harder, on the verge of tears. “How come every time I walk into this room you two are having all the fun without me?” a voice says, coming from the doorway. Anne looks up and sees the nurse enter the room. She wipes away a few tears and clears her throat, “Hi Tabitha, good morning.” she says in a giddy voice. “I don’t have to change any sheets, do I?” the nurse jokes. “I know what happens when he gets-ta-laughin’.” She eyes the both of them with a silent giggle. “What’ll it be today, Tabby?” he says, finishing a chuckle and repositioning himself in his bed. “Just the usual treatment, Mr. Andrews—same as last weeks.” says the nurse perkily. “Alrighty—uh—,” he turns his head to Anne as he sits up, “You mind waiting outside, kiddo?” He tries to produce a reassuring smile, but Anne isn’t fooled. She knows the treatments hurt, and she knows he doesn’t want her to watch. But she stays put. She watches as the man who raised her slowly unties the bunny-looped knot behind his neck—his skinny arms and arthritic fingers struggle to loosen the bow. The nurse carefully intervenes and the man’s gown falls down his shoulders to his seated lap. His body, gaunt and telling, displays a version of her father she has yet to recognize. Tears well up in her eyes and she turns away, too heartbroken to watch anymore. She grabs her scarf and starts it around her neck. She turns to him, feeling in her pocket for something. “Dad, I’m gonna get going.” she says apologetically. His head turns her way. “No, no, you don’t have to go—it’ll take five minutes, tops.” he says undoubtedly. “It’s okay dad, I still have to take Matthew to school.” she says quickly, wrapping the emerald scarf around her neck. “Matthew?” he says quizzically. “Your grandson…” she looks at him with a faint feeling of emotion. “Ah yes! Did you find that thing we were talking about?” he looks at her with his eyebrows raised, hoping for good news. “I did, dad.” She takes out a small silver box from her pocket and fixes her eyes to its shine. “It’s right here.” She reaches out her arm and places the silver box in her father’s lap. He looks down with curiosity and grasps the edges. “Make sure you bring Matthew later, I’d like to see him.” He smiles at Anne and looks down toward the box. “I will, dad.” She says. “I gotta go. I love you.” She kisses his head, right above the temple, then makes her way out of the room. “I love you, too” he says faintly. Matthew holds his mother’s hand as they make their way to see his grandfather. They load into the elevator, just the two of them. Matthew is tempted to press all the buttons, he likes to see them all glow, but he practices restraint. “What number, mommy?” he asks. He looks up at her with anticipation. “Four, sweetheart.” Anne says proudly. Matthew reaches with his right arm, straining slightly. He presses the number four and watches the circular button glow. He turns to his mother and back toward the glow. “Good job, honey.” Her eyes and smile give him confidence. “Can I press another one?” he says swiftly. “Yeah—no, no! Just the one, sweetheart.” she says as she catches her words. The elevator reaches floor number four and they step out to the waiting room. Anne approaches the counter and asks if they can visit Room 11; she signs and dates the visitation document in front of her on the counter. Just then, a nurse and a team of doctors come around the corner and approach Anne. Matthew watches as the people in light-blue scrubs talk to his mother. She begins to cry in the nurses’ arms. She turns to Matthew, who is standing motionless behind her. She walks him to an empty chair, outside of his grandfather’s room. He sits, she kisses his head, and then follows the team of light-blue scrubs into Room 11. Sitting alone, Matthew makes eye contact with a red-headed nurse—a kind expression on her face. She walks over. “You must be Matthew.” she says with a warm smile, squatting down to eye-level. “Mhmm.” He says shyly. “I’ve heard so much about you.” She says warmly. “Can I see my grandpa now?” he asks Tabitha kindly. “Your grandpa is a little busy right now, but do you want to see something cool?” she says with teary eyes. “Mhmm.” He says curiously. She reaches her hand into one of her scrub pockets and takes out a shiny silver box. Matthew’s eyes grow with wonder. “This was your grandfathers.” She looks into his eyes. “He told me he really wanted you to have it.” She opens the silver lid and he peeps inside. Curious, she lowers her eyes into the box, too. Matthew fishes out a silver necklace locket. “A necklace?” he says in a tiny voice. “It looks like a locket! Why don’t you open it and see what’s inside.” The nurse says in an excited tone. Matthew fumbles the locket at first, then grips it tight. He gets his thumbnails between the opening and the locket unfastens like a tiny silver booklet. Matthew and Tabby look closely at the images inside, processing what they see. “It’s me and grandpa!” he says aloud. “And my mommy’s there too!” he spots his mother’s picture on the left profile. Unable to hold her tears any longer, Tabitha embraces the child, weeping softly.