Gramps found the rest of the family already at the theater. The second act had just begun. ​​They kept an empty seat next to Abby's. As he sat down, Abby shot him a furious look. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about..."

     "Oh." Gramps waved her worry away with his hand. "I'm fine. And look what I found." He handed Abby back her mother's necklace.

     Now Abby really looked worried. "Daddy, where did you get that?"

     "You know, darling, it was the craziest thing." Gramps flashed his widest smile. "I found it on the ground, picked it up, and damned if it wasn't your necklace. They must have dropped it while they were fleeing."  

​     Abby shot him a look, like, Dad, please knock it off. This is me you're talking to. Still, she accepted the necklace gratefully. It really was a beautiful piece of jewelry, and it reminded her so much of her mother. She returned it to her neck. "Thank you, Daddy." 

     "Of course, my treasure."

     "We're saved a seat for you." 

​     Gramps sat down with his daughter to watch the rest of the play. Within seconds, everyone's attention was back to focusing on what was happening on the stage. Well, except for Gramps. He tried to follow the play, but, you know, he still had that thing in his ear, that earplug, and twenty-four-seven he listened to that comedian he loved so well tell jokes. Eventually, the comedian told a joke that was just too hilarious, and Gramps couldn't help but laugh, even though, at the moment, all the actors on the stage were being very serious. A patron passed him on the way to the restroom, and what the patron saw was a white-haired, solid block of a man sweating profusely, and along with the sweat was a drop or two of something dark as blood, as Gramps swayed back and forth, back and forth, and chuckled like a crazy man.

CONTINUE