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  Chapter 1

  “You’ve got this, Sheila,” I said as I patted my dashboard. “I promise that I’ll get you some gas as soon as we check in with Grandma.”

  The old beater shuddered as I put her in park, but there was still enough gas that we’d be able to get to the nearest station. I’d rebuilt the engine in shop class and given the dark green Cherokee a facelift. She was basically a tank, but it was almost time to let her retire. I’d taken her to the edge of empty so long that I knew just how far the old girl could make it before it was time to get out and push.

  I gave the dashboard another comforting pat, hopped out, and headed toward the front door of the Cozy Acres Retirement Home. The tan building was short and squat like most of the residents, but at least there were plenty of windows to let in natural light. I’d had to move grandma into the place a few months ago, but she seemed to like it, and the nurses were always nice when I came to visit.

  My grandpa had passed away last year, right as my senior year started, but he’d been sick for a long time. Grandma had held on for a while in their Victorian house on the edge of town, but I was about to go to college, and we’d both decided that it was time for her to make a change. It had turned out to be the best plan since the doctors’ had discovered a small brain tumor, and the facility offered treatment.

  It wasn’t a cure, but for the moment it was a start, and I’d already looked into a facility that might be able to operate. The place had some of the best doctors around, and their prices reflected that, so I’d already started to look into better paying jobs that I could work at in between classes. The nurses said that the current treatments had stopped the growth, but her behavior had been a little more erratic, and they’d started to say that she might be having hallucinations.

  Most of her days were still pretty good, but there had been a few calls from the nurses on staff when grandma started to act out. A few of the more recent rants had involved some crazy stories about dragons and mages. She’d always loved stories about magical worlds when I was growing up, and it seemed like her addled mind was ready to live in one, but I could hardly blame her for that.

  I almost wished that I could join her and leave my boring warehouse job behind. I pictured myself as some great wizard that made enough money to pay for the operation that would make her all better. Cozy Acres was nice enough, but their plan was like a bandage on a bullet wound, and I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

  The daydreams about money always drifted to my own apartment, which could use a serious upgrade as well. Maybe I could even let Sheila retire and buy a new car that wouldn’t eat up gas and my savings like a drunk at an open bar. It was all just a fantasy, though, and I had better odds of winning the lottery.

  With I sigh, I trudged along the sidewalk that led to the front doors. A few weeds poked up through the cracks in the concrete, and a line of ants marched off to somewhere. It was a scene I’d observed almost every day since my grandmother had moved in, and I wondered if it ever changed.

  When I reached the door, I decided the answer was no, things never changed at the home. The “A” in Acres was still tilted to the side like it was too tired to bother trying to up, and the numbers at the door’s keypad were still worn down from use. It was impossible not to sigh again as I put in the code to let me inside and then watched the little light switch from red to green.

  “Mr. Hall” a portly woman said as I walked inside. “It’s good to see you. Here to visit your grandma?”

  Nurse Johnson had a clipboard in her hand and ink stains on the tips of her fingers. Her dyed red hair was pulled up into a frizzy bun, and her smeared black eyeliner said that she was probably at the end of a shift. She still had a bright grin, though it was a little more worn than usual like it had been a long day.

  “Yeah,” I said with a smile. “How’s she doing?”

  “Good overall,” the older woman said and lifted up the clipboard. “She ate her breakfast already. And we just gave her a snack. She even took all of her meds without any problems.”

  “Great,” I said and glanced at the podium. “Do I need to sign in?”

  “It’s fine,” Nurse Johnson said with a wave of her hand. “I’ll put you in the log later. I know that you need to go to work soon.”

  “Thanks,” I said and looked around the small sitting area. “Is she in her room?”

  “She’s on the back patio,” another nurse said as she joined us. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need the number for Mrs. Zapinski’s daughter. She’s almost out of diapers.”

  “I’ll leave you to it,” I said and nodded to both of them.

  “You should know that your grandma is a little out of sorts today,” the new nurse added. “She’s been muttering to herself since she woke up. Try not to do anything that’ll set her off. Physically good, but she is in another world a bit today.”

  “I’ll do my best,” I said.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Nurse Johnson said with a look at her colleague. “Have a good day.”

  The two women began to whisper and argue with each other as I walked through the halls toward the back porch. I heard something about bedside manners from Nurse Johnson and almost had to laugh. The younger woman had given me a good warning, even if it had been a bit brisk, and the last thing that I wanted was for grandma to get agitated. She was tough for an old woman, and she had no qualms about using whatever was within reach as a weapon.

  I almost jumped out of my skin when I walked past a living room and someone turned up the volume on the TV. It was so loud that my ears hurt, but the old men looked pleased as they leaned back in giant recliners and watched Days of our Lives. I thought of my grandpa during his last days, and a sad smile tugged on my lips.

  He’d been a force to be reckoned with until he got sick, and then his La-Z-Boy had become a bed and hangout spot. Grandma and I had managed to keep him at home for a long time, but then hospice had to be called. It had been a hard senior year, but I’d kept my grades up, and grandpa had always made sure that my homework was done before we hung out and watched old football games.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket and snapped me back to the present moment. A text from my co-worker warned me that there was a big shipment on its way to the warehouse and that the boss was already on edge. I shot back a thanks for the heads-up and then turned back toward the porch.

  The front of the nursing home was in much better condition than the back, but then again, most of the visitors never made it that far into the facility. The beige paint on the walls peeled in some places, and there were patched spots where the paintings had been moved at some point. Everything looked like it was from the eighties, and I guessed that it had something to do with making the patients more comfortable, but it was just as likely that they wanted to be cheap.

  I’d used a huge chunk of grandpa’s life insurance policy to pay for the first few months of my grandma’s medical treatment. The rest had paid for a small funeral, and their life savings would help her for the next year. But I needed a long-term plan to pay for her care and to make enough to get her into a better facility.

  The job at the warehouse paid for my rent but not much else, and the few college admissions that I’d received had come with a hefty tuition fee. My favorite te
acher had helped me apply for a few scholarships, and one of them would give me almost an entire associate’s degree for free at the community college. I could keep my job, go to school, and start a side hustle that would bring in some extra income, though I still wasn’t sure if it would be enough. One thing I’d learned over the last year was that medical care was expensive and only getting more so.

  Something moved out of the corner of my eye then, and I spun to see someone disappear into a bathroom. I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, sighed, and then pulled open the door to the patio. The last few weeks had been a blur, and sleep hadn’t been my friend, but I couldn’t deny that things had been weird lately.

  Grandma was in a white wicker chair near the edge of the porch with her feet up on a matching ottoman. Her hazel eyes were the same color as mine, and they were currently focused on something in the distance. She didn’t even look up when I sat down in the chair next to hers.

  A manicured lawn spread out in front of us with pristine rosebushes in giant concrete planters. There was a man-made pond down a gentle rolling hill, and a few ducks were gathered near the edge to eat the popcorn the residents threw for them. It was the only part of the place that was in perfect condition, and it was grandma’s favorite spot to relax during the day.

  I studied her for a few seconds as she watched something in her memory. She and my grandpa had taken me in after my parents died in a car accident, and it hadn’t been easy at their age. I was a little punk for the first few months, but then grandma had practically ordered me to start solving puzzles with her, and all the rage was refocused onto the impossible designs. She was the best person that I’d ever met, and there was nothing that I wouldn’t do to give her the life that she deserved.

  Her long silver hair had been cut short so that it was easier for her to manage. One of the nurses gave all the ladies manicures at least once a month, and grandma had picked out a pale pink the last time. It matched the lightweight dress she wore, and the white flowers reminded me of the wildflowers that used to grow in the backyard at the house.

  “Andrew?” she asked. “Honey, how long have you been here?”

  “Just a few minutes,” I said with a smile. “You looked like you were deep in thought. I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “You’re never a bother,” she said and reached over to pat my hand.

  Her skin was thin and wrinkled like used tissue paper, and bright blue veins raced up her pale arm. She had the same dimple on her right cheek that I had, and my heart warmed as she twisted in the chair to look at me. Her eyes were bright with happiness, and the fog that had hovered over them seemed to have disappeared.

  “What were you thinking about?” I asked to change the subject.

  “Never you mind,” grandma said and then took a sip of her lemonade. “Just some old memories. How are you doing today? Don’t you have to work?”

  “Yeah,” I said with a shrug. “But I’m working the second shift, so I don’t have to be in for another hour or so, and I haven’t stopped by in over a week.”

  “You know that I don’t need you to come check on me all the time,” the older woman said with a roll of her eyes. “You go live your life. How are the college applications going? Have you heard back from everyone? Any closer to making a decision about where you want to go?”

  “I think that I’m just going to the community college in town,” I said.

  I stood up and went to the water cooler, poured some of the cold liquid into a paper cup, and then downed it. The conversation about college was a sore subject with grandma, and the nurse had asked me not to agitate her. She had big plans for my future, and most of that involved college.

  “Just to start, though,” grandma warned in her best ‘don’t question me’ voice.

  “Just to start,” I repeated. “I’ve got an idea for a side hustle that should help me to rake in some extra cash.”

  “You work too much,” the older woman sighed.

  “That’s life,” I laughed and sat down again. “But one day, I’ll have enough money to give us both the lives that we deserve.”

  “Deloris,” another woman said with a gentle grin. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Andrew, it’s so good to see you everywhere. Your grandma is never where I think she’s going to be. Especially when I’m in the mood to hear one of her stories. I bet you’ve heard all of them.”

  “Bah!” grandma huffed. “He’d fall asleep halfway through it. Just like he started working all those long hours. Couldn’t even get through the new superhero movie. What was it? Captain America?”

  “That was a few years ago,” I said with a shrug. “I was working overnight then. Anyways, how was your morning, grandma? I heard you ate breakfast and a snack.”

  “Oh, yes,” grandma said. “They made us waffles, eggs, and some strawberries. It was almost as good as the ones that your grandpa used to make. The cook here could use some lessons in how to fix up a box mix, though. Nothing like a little vanilla extract to make it just a little bit better.”

  “That’s what I always do,” I said.

  “That’s because you’re a good boy,” she said and patted my hand again. “You always did learn so fast. You figured out some of those patterns long before I did. And I’d been working on them for most of my life.”

  “Thanks, grandma,” I said.

  Grandma shifted in the chair like it was uncomfortable, and a yellowed letter fell to the floor. I reached to pick it up for her, but the older woman snatched it up and held it to her chest before I could even touch it. Her eyes drifted closed as she clutched the aged paper, but then she set it in her lap and took a deep breath.

  “Is that a letter from grandpa?” I asked with a motion to her name scrawled in tidy cursive handwriting. “It doesn’t have a return address.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that,” grandma said and tucked the letter under her leg. “How’s the school hunt going?”

  “Fine,” I said with another shrug. “I’m pretty sure I have a bunch of scholarship possibilities.”

  “Good, good,” she said and gave me a distracted nod.

  “Thinking about grandpa’s letter?” I asked and retrieved another cup of water.

  “It’s not from grandpa,” grandma huffed. “It’s from an old friend. No one you’ve met, so don’t ask. I knew them long before I met you.”

  “Did grandpa have competition?” I teased.

  Grandma had never talked much about her past. Her life started the day she met grandpa, or at least that’s what she’d always told me. He’d just roll his eyes and laugh, and mom and dad had died before I’d been able to ask too many questions.

  I’d tried to pry it out of her, but the old woman was as tight-lipped as a spy. She would always just change the subject or give me the ridiculous line about grandpa. I asked him once if she had amnesia, but he’d gotten a weird look on his face and had told me that some things were just better left in the past.

  “I was a pretty young thing once,” grandma said with a shy smile.

  “You’re a pretty thing now,” one of the older men shouted from across the porch. “I’d like to take you out to dinner some time.”

  “I’m already spoken for,” she said and shook her head.

  “So, grandpa wasn’t your first love?” I pressed.

  “But my life started with him,” the older woman said with a wink. “No. This letter is from someone who was just a friend.”

  “What’s their name?” I asked and sat back down. “Maybe I can get in touch with them. The internet age is pretty fantastic. I can find just about anyone online.”

  “I appreciate that, Andrew,” grandma said and patted my arm. “But that’s not necessary. There is something that you can do for me, though.”

  She withdrew her hand and ran a thumb over the edge of the yellowed envelope. The fog had settled in her eyes, and I was pretty sure that she wasn’t looking at me anymore. I waved my hand in front of her face when her ey
ebrows knitted together with worry, and the older woman snapped back to attention.

  “Thought you went off into your fantasy world for a little bit,” I said. “What story were you reliving?”

  “Not one that I can share with you,” she said and then took another sip of her lemonade. “Your grandma has to have some secrets. There is something that you can do for me, though.”

  “Anything,” I said.

  The hard wicker chair I sat in was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t understand why any of the residents would sit in it for more than ten minutes. It pinched my legs and arms, and the cushions were so worn that they barely did anything to protect my butt from the hard fibers. I definitely needed to find a place with a better outdoor area. Maybe somewhere that grandma could lounge and not get pinched.

  “I need you to go by the house and bring me an old piece of jewelry,” grandma said and started to tap her foot. “It’s a necklace like an amulet. Made with a piece of moonstone in a golden pendant.”

  “Do you know where it is?” I asked.

  “No idea,” the older woman laughed and shook her head. “Oh, I haven’t seen it in ages. Could be anywhere. But I need you to find it and bring it to me as soon as possible.”

  The old Victorian manor had been vacant for the last few months, and I hadn’t been able to stop by since grandma had come to Cozy Acres. There were a lot of memories lingering around the empty rooms. It was one of the things that I needed to talk to grandma about, but there was never a good time.

  I knew that she wanted me to take it over at some point, and the house was hers outright, but it was just so big. There were five rooms and just as many bathrooms, something called a butler’s kitchen, along with the actual kitchen, and the list went on from there. I couldn’t afford the maintenance on such a huge place, and the heating bill would be outrageous in the winter months.

  “Do you think you could narrow it down just a little bit?” I asked and then looked at my phone.

  My co-worker had just sent another text about my boss and suggested that I come in early. It looked like it would be a long night, but the pay was good, and that was all that mattered. I could put up with a lot for a steady paycheck, though my control freak manager did have a way of pushing the boundaries of my patience.