At the age of 26 I was still a virgin, and my father always warned me, “Stop sitting on the grandfather’s lap and be careful with him.” I never listened to him… until one night Grandpa came up to me and asked me, “Will you sleep by my side tonight?”

I stopped.

Inside there were two separate narrow beds.

One

Large telescope was next to the window.

On a wooden table were dozens of old photographs, letters, a video camera and a thick photo album.

There was also a small suitcase.

I looked at Grandpa.

“What is all this?”

He sat slowly.

Dad stayed near the door.

Neither of us seemed willing to speak first.

Finally, Grandpa pointed to the album.

“Open it.”

The first photograph showed a young woman of my age approximately.

For a second, I thought it was me.

The same hair

dark.

The same smile.

Even the shape of his eyes was familiar to me.

“Who is she?”

Grandpa smiled.

“Your grandmother, Rose. I was twenty-six there.”

My exact age.

I turned the page.

There were photographs of Grandma and Grandpa sitting on a porch.

Another one of them next to an old car.

Another image showed the grandmother asleep in one