I hope you won't stop coming to visit now you're getting older.

The bedside lamp casker-rammar in a sickly yellow glow,

it made her look like she was wearing a Halloween mask.

There was a smile on her face that didn't

quite reach her eyes. The duvet covers rustled around me as Grandma shifted her weight

on the bed. I frowned up at her.

The last few times I've been around to visit, she'd made similar comments to this one.

Remarks about feeling lonely or not having enough people to talk to.

Something was obviously on a mind.

What?

Of course I won't stop coming to visit Grandma,

I said.

Why would you think that?

Oh, I don't know.

You worry about these things when you get to my age?

A smile widened for a moment and faded. You worry people will forget about you. I haven't seen your

brothers nearly as much since they started university you know. I opened my mouth

to respond to this then closed it again.

Grandma wasn't wrong.

Dan and Rich are in different cities now in their first and third years respectively.

They definitely didn't see her as much.

But then again, they didn't see any of us as much.

...