“You can’t protect her from everything forever.”
Mom whispered,
“She doesn’t need to know yet.”
Grandpa’s expression softened.
“She needs one good memory.”
My mother’s face crumpled.
“But what if tomorrow…”
Grandpa interrupted gently.
“Don’t talk about tomorrow.”
The house went silent.
I didn’t know what tomorrow meant.
But suddenly, I desperately wanted to know.
Half an hour later, Mom came upstairs.
“Get dressed.”
“Where are we going?”
“To Grandpa’s.”
I stared at her.
“You said I couldn’t go.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
She looked at me.
“Because sometimes grown-ups make rules when they’re scared.”
That was the strangest answer I’d ever heard.
We drove to Grandpa’s house.
When we arrived, the lights were on in the back porch.
Grandpa opened the door.
“Come in.”
I stepped inside.
Then I stopped.
There were two mattresses on the floor.
Blankets.
Pillows.
A thermos of hot chocolate.
Three bowls of popcorn.
And beside the window stood an old telescope.
I stared at it.
“What is all this?”
Grandpa smiled.
“Your sleepover.”
I looked at Mom.
She was crying again.
“Why?”
Grandpa pointed toward the telescope.
“Because you made me a promise when you were five.”
“I did?”
“You did.”
“What promise?”
He smiled.
“You told me that one day you wanted to stay awake all night and watch shooting stars with me.”
I laughed nervously.
“I said that?”
“You said it very seriously.”
Mom wiped her eyes.
“You also told him he wasn’t allowed to fall asleep first.”
Grandpa laughed.
“And she threatened to pour cold water on me if I did.”
I stared at him.
“I would never!”
Grandpa raised an eyebrow.
“You absolutely would.”
I smiled.
For the first time that night, I wasn’t scared.
Then Grandpa said,
“There is a meteor shower tonight.”
I looked through the window.
“Really?”
“The biggest one we’ve had in years.”
“And we’re going to watch it?”
“That was the plan.”
I looked at Mom.
She nodded.
“Yes.”
Then I noticed something.
Grandpa’s hand was trembling.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
“Grandpa?”
He quickly tucked his hand beneath the blanket.
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
He smiled.
“I’m fine.”
Mom looked away.
And suddenly, I knew.
Something was still being hidden from me.
We settled onto the mattresses.
Mom sat between us at first.
Grandpa adjusted the telescope.
He had apparently been working on it for months.
Every few minutes he’d make a tiny adjustment.
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