She crouched down in front of the old man, tilting her head up to look at the person she'd once seen as powerful and towering in her childhood. But now, he was thin, hunched over, his eyes vacant and lifeless-he wasn't even aware she was standing right there.
There was nothing left of the old presence that used to command a room.
Sabrina's chest tightened. He was still someone she knew so well, yet the contrast hit her hard, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.
"Grandpa Strickland," she called softly.
Around them, every elderly person was surrounded by family, chatting and smiling. Only Grandpa Strickland sat alone, making him seem even lonelier.
Where was the Strickland family? Why was no one here?
He didn't respond. His gaze stayed fixed on something beyond her, staring straight ahead at nothing.
Sabrina had no choice but to stand and block his line of sight. Meeting his eyes again, she repeated, "Grandpa Strickland."
Finally, his eyes twitched. She held her breath in anticipation.
Then came a slow, confused, "Who are you?"
It didn't crush her. She smiled gently and said, "I'm Sabrina, remember? The girl from next door, the Lionhart family."
She didn't say "we used to be neighbors."
Back when Lynne divorced her dad, Sabrina had spent a few days in the big villa with him - mostly out of childish, petty curiosity to see the "enemy" who wrecked her home.
Of course, with her sweet face, no one ever guessed what she'd been thinking.
But the stay didn't last long. She couldn't handle being around Margaret and her mom, so she asked to go back-and never visited again.
"Sab...rina..." Grandpa Strickland repeated slowly, trying to mimic her name. "Nice. Sounds nice."
"Right?" Sabrina grinned, dimples showing, her bright smile revealing two neat rows of white teeth. She knew deep down he didn't really remember her, but just having a conversation like this already meant a lot. "Grandpa Strickland, you're still just as charming as ever."
He could understand praise-that much still stuck. He chuckled and replied, "Nah, I'm just an old man now."
"No wa-" Sabrina was about to argue when a sudden stench hit and a soft splash followed.
She looked down instinctively.
His pants were darkening fast. Yellow urine trickled from the wheelchair onto the grass. And the man himself?
Grandpa Strickland was completely unaware, still grinning cluelessly at her.
"Oh no, who was supposed to check on Mr. Strickland today? Why didn't he have a diaper on?" A nearby nurse noticed and called out.
Another responded while hurrying over. "That's on me. He hates wearing them. If he wakes up and finds out, he'll go off, so what can I do?"
A few people glanced over briefly, but they quickly turned back to their own family members, clearly used to Ins like this.
"Sweetheart, can you give us a sec? I need to change him," the nurse said as she grabbed the wheelchair handles, nodding at Sabrina.
Sabrina gave a dazed nod and stepped aside.
She must have looked really stunned, because the nurse added gently, "This is one of the symptoms of Alzheimer's. It's... completely normal."
Is it though? Is this really normal?
Sabrina had always thought Alzheimer's-no, better to call it brain degeneration-was just about forgetting things. She never imagined it meant delays like this, incontinence, and more.
She watched as Grandpa Strickland was wheeled into the building, her fingers twisting together in front of her without her even realizing it-she still couldn't quite believe what she'd just seen.
Back when he was younger, Grandpa Strickland had served in the military. That man used to be so particular about how he carried himself, always upright and proper. Now... this?
This illness-it was terrifying.
Way beyond what she had imagined.
All those documentaries on TV? Way too sugar-coated. What they showed was just people being forgetful. But in reality, once someone really got this disease, it hit both the patient and their family like a truck.
Like the nurse said just now... Grandpa Strickland sometimes gets rare Ins of clarity, only to realize he's wearing an adult diaper-
"Excuse me, where's my grandfather?"
A familiar voice called out from nearby.
Sabrina quickly looked up.
It was Cedric.
He looked like he came straight from work, dressed in his usual business attire. Clean-cut, no-nonsense.
"Mr. Strickland had a little accident earlier. We're helping him change right now-please wait here a moment," the nurse replied.
Cedric gave a slight nod. Then he turned and spotted Sabrina.
He blinked just once, as if trying to place her-but quickly put it together. He'd heard about an activity today-some celebrity skincare expert coming in to hand-make moisturizing lotion for the residents.
And apparently, the retirement home had managed to pull some serious strings, because they'd gotten a big-deal name. Someone who usually charged insane fees outside.
Celebrity-level.
Cedric mentally repeated the words, his expression unreadable.
He walked closer and noticed the damp patch on the ground near Sabrina's feet. Faint smell still lingered in the air. He immediately figured out she must have recognized his grandfather.
But from her still expression, seemed like Grandpa hadn't recognized her.
How daring of her, though-still showing her face in front of the Stricklands, like she'd done absolutely nothing wrong.
"When was he diagnosed?" Sabrina asked quietly, still obviously reeling from the shock. She didn't catch the slight flicker of distaste on Cedric's face.
"Two years ago," his reply was clipped and cold.
"Oh," she murmured, nodding, lowering her gaze again.
She'd been gone a few years, never imagined things had changed this much.
Grandpa Strickland seriously ill, Grandma Strickland in the hospital too... No wonder Cedric seemed even more closed-off than before. No wonder Lynne warned her not to bring up anything painful.
Yeah... probably wasn't the best idea to come saying hi just to poke at old wounds.
She knew Cedric's parents had been caught up with business back then. He was raised mostly by his grandparents. They meant a lot to him.
"Sometimes, forgetting is a blessing. If memories do nothing but hurt, maybe wiping them clean isn't the worst thing," Cedric said suddenly.
"Hmm..." Sabrina wasn't on board with that. Her memory wasn't great either, maybe that's why she reacted strongly.
"I feel like... the good and bad memories, they're all parts of who we are. Trying to erase them is just running from it. I mean, unless it's a health issue and people have no choice-then yeah, maybe this kind of comforting line has its place. But for someone healthy to say that... it just doesn't sit right."
Cedric's mouth twitched slightly-not quite a smile, more like an amused scoff. He didn't argue, just said, "Executioners always know how to wrap things up in fancy words."
"What?"
Sabrina didn't catch that last part. She was just about to ask when someone called her from down the lawn, signaling the activity was starting. She acknowledged with a quick "coming" and didn't bother following up.
Anyway, Cedric always talked weird, never easy to follow.
She turned and made her way towards the long outdoor table, where she'd set up for today's session.
The things she brought were simple: glycerin, white vinegar, and a generous amount of fresh rose petals. Plus a handful of basic tools.Thinking back on her friend's reminder, Sabrina didn't listen.
Instead, she laid out all her tools on the long table and clipped on a speaker headset before cheerfully introducing herself to the crowd in front of her. "Hi everyone! I'm Sabrina, and I'm here today to help you make some simple skincare products."
Her voice was sweet and soft, her smile just as gentle-she didn't give off an ounce of pressure, the kind of girl anyone could feel at ease with.
Right after she spoke, someone started clapping, and soon the elders followed, slowly raising their hands to clap too.
Sabrina hadn't expected them to get into it like this, so she added another question, "So, my dear friends, do any of you struggle with dry skin during the winter?"
"Yes," came the scattered responses.
"Right? I figured as much-these winters here are just way too dry!" She looked down, fiddling with the containers as she moved into the demo. "Ever since I got back, even my face's been hurting. I've been slathering on lotion like crazy every day..."
She mumbled to herself with a tiny dramatic sigh, like a light-hearted complaint. It only made her seem more playful.
Even though she wasn't really trying to engage them at that moment, the elderly audience looked on like she was giving some deep talk.
Cedric glanced at his grandfather, who was sitting upright, neck craned forward to watch her intently.
He couldn't help but shake his head. So that "young and old all fall for me" thing she used to boast about? Yeah, apparently she wasn't kidding.
Cedric kept watching the old man for a few more seconds, then moved his gaze back to her.
She wore white gloves, her movements slow on purpose but clearly skilled. Every ingredient was weighed carefully on a digital scale before being poured in and mixed. She even held up some roses, doing little "tricks" like turning one flower into two. It was honestly kind of silly, but the old folks loved it-some even clapped appreciatively.
Getting their applause only made her more cheeky. She started tossing around measuring cups like she was in a little juggling act, basically using every item on the table like a prop.
Once the skincare cream was done, she stirred in crushed rose petals and packed the mixture into small clear jars.
They looked so cute when finished that she actually smiled. One by one, she handed them out. Some ladies clutched their jars like precious jewels, and that made her grin even more. Clearly, a love for pretty things didn't fade with age.
Cedric's grandfather had come in last and was seated all the way at the back. Sabrina had two boxes left in her hands-one for him, and the other one...
"Here," she said, stretching the one toward Cedric.
"Oh ho! Miss Lionhart plays favorites, huh? I want one too!" one of the nurses teased, clearly trying to make it less awkward and fishing for a gift of her own.
Cedric looked up at her but didn't take it.
Sabrina didn't lower her hand either, like she was silently daring him.
Time ticked by, and with the tension rising, the nurses went quiet. Some of the family members nearby also turned to look, and no matter how thick-skinned Sabrina might be, in that moment...
"Hey! Where are your manners?" Cedric's grandfather barked, breaking the silence with a loud reprimand. His voice had that unmistakable tone of a proper scolding. "If someone gives you something, you take it-both hands! Don't be rude! Right, Sabrina?"
He said her name so smoothly, so naturally.
In that split second, Sabrina felt like she'd gone back in time-to the days before he got sick.
She hadn't stayed long at the Lionharts' house, but thanks to Cedric, she'd seen his grandparents quite a few times.
