Chapter 35: Flashback 2

**Third person**

Mrs. Stone pushed open the creaking door of her father's room, the familiar scent of antiseptic air filling her nostrils.

Grandpa sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. A soft, rhythmic tapping filled the silence; it was the sound of his fingers tracing patterns on the quilt.

"Still awake, Papa?" she asked gently, even though the answer was obvious.

Grandpa didn't respond, his expression blank. Mrs. Stone was used to his silence by now, but it still tugged at her heartstrings. She sat beside him, her hand resting lightly on his.

"What do you think about Valerie, Lucas's girlfriend?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation.

To her surprise, Grandpa turned to her, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "She's lovely," he said, his voice a soft murmur.

Mrs. Stone turned to look at him, her heart swelling. "Really?" she replied, a smile creeping across her face. "I think so too. She's a wonderful girl."

The smile on Mrs. Stone's face ling