Eudaimonia

Chapter 15 - ♪ Just how fast the night changes? ♪

I have always loved Christmas time. The coziness to be with the people you love was for me the highlight of those days. The gifts were nice too but being together with granny and grandpa all day was even better. In the weeks before we decorated the tree, watched sappy movies and looked through granny her cooking books for something new to bake or cook on Christmas Eve. The day itself we spent most of the day in the kitchen, granny and I cooked, and grandpa supplied the music. We played boardgames, pulled out the family pictures and they told me about my parents.

It was like those days were the only days that they could— or maybe wanted to talk about her, them. I have always looked forward to those moments.

Celebrating Christmas 2028 was a bit different, I came to the nursing home and baked cookies with the residents. Granny stayed in her seat and played with the dough I handed her, or I caught her putting a piece of dough in her mouth. She was quiet all day, never reacting when someone talked to her. She lost weight too. In the afternoon, we sat around the Christmas tree and some of the residents sang songs. Mostly older songs that I didn't knew that well. The cookies we baked were passed out and they got hot chocolate.

After dinner I brough granny to her room and helped her in bed. I didn't buy her a gift because I didn't knew what to buy and she would probably not even notice if I gave her something or not. I placed a new photo of us and grandpa on her bedside table, maybe one day she will look at it and will remember us. Although I'm aware that I'm hoping too much.

I had pulled one of the photo albums out of her cabinet and went through them, told the stories that went with the pictures, like they did for me for so many years. When I closed the album, it was already dark outside. Granny fell asleep not long after I started going through the first album. I placed the albums away and gave her a kiss on the cheek, she looked so peaceful. I gave her a kiss on her forehead and left the room. Hoping that, maybe, she is dreaming about us.

When I came home, or the home off Liam and Poppy, I was alone. They were still with Poppy's family for Christmas. They invited me as well, but I wanted to stay with granny. I made myself ready for bed and entered the guestroom that turned into my room ever since granny moved in the nursing home. I went through some old pictures on my phone and in a nostalgic mood I selected some old pictures and posted them on my Insta and went to sleep.