Grandma helped Grandpa to the kitchen for breakfast. After his meal, she led him to his armchair in the living room. This was their daily routine after Grandpa's latest stroke. His severely damaged left arm, difficulty walking, and slurred speech now kept him housebound.
Grandpa filled his hours with television. They had a pact—he was not to leave his chair or his bed without her assistance. "If you fell and I threw my back out trying to help you, who would take care of us?" Grandma would ask. She was adamant about their living independently in their Brooklyn brownstone, their first home filled with memories.
Immigrants from Ireland, they met and married in America. Grandma was friendly and outgoing; Grandpa was reserved and devoted to his family. However, he rarely purchased gifts for her, believing that treating her well daily made presents unnecessary—a sore point early in their marriage that faded with time.
One cold, gray February morning, Grandma settled Grandpa in his chair before taking a shower. When she returned, his cane was gone. The closet door stood open, and his hat and overcoat were missing. Fear ran down her spine.
She threw a coat over her bathrobe and ran outside. Desperately, she scanned the block. The icy sidewalks made walking treacherous, especially for someone in Grandpa's condition. Where could he be? Wringing her hands, she recalled him saying he felt like a "burden." Guilt flooded her.
Just then, Grandpa walked around the corner. Head bowed, he took small, cautious steps. His overcoat barely draped his bad shoulder; his cane and a package filled his good arm.
Grandma raced to him. Relieved, she started to scold. "What on earth was so important?"
Confused, she reached into the brown bag he carried and pulled out a heart-shaped box.
"It's Valentine's Day," Grandpa explained, his words slightly slurred from the stroke. "I thought you might like a box of chocolates. I haven't bought you a gift in a long, long time."
Tears flooded Grandma's eyes as she hugged his arm and led him back home. She shook her head slowly.
It just goes to show, she thought, it's never too late for romance.