The following morning, Jason and I drove to Granddad’s house to pick him up. He seemed relieved to see us, Penny wagging her tail joyfully from the confines of her little cast. We loaded Granddad’s sparse belongings into the car, and he settled in the backseat with Penny curled up beside him. “Where are we going?” he asked quietly.

“To Mom’s,” I replied, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. “You’re not alone in this, Granddad.”

The drive was filled with animated discussions about what was to come. Granddad was hesitant at first, not wanting to cause any more trouble, but when I reminded him of all he had done for us over the years, he nodded silently, a small smile tugging at his lips.