Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

At dusk, a faint red light shone on the courtyard of the Wilson's residence, adding a hint of warmth to the villa.

Trevon and Natalie arrived at the residence by car. Upon switching off the engine, the rear seat door swung open.

Jasper, who was dressed in a navy blue kindergarten uniform, swiftly walked indoors.

As soon as he walked into the living room, he threw his school bag on the couch. Disregarding his sister, who was immersed in playing with toys nearby, he swiftly raced to the second floor, heading toward Theo's room as if he was worried that his great-grandfather might vanish from sight a mere second later.

Trevon walked into the living room with a gloomy expression. The moment he entered, he met Mary's red eyes, which gave him a bad feeling. Subconsciously, he tightened his fists concealed in his pockets. Nevertheless, he inquired, "How is Grandpa doing today?" Natalie, who was beside him, noticed that his expression had darkened a little. She reached for his wrist, offering a gentle pat to comfort him as they awaited the response.

Upon spotting Trevon's return, the twin girls exclaimed joyfully, "Daddy, Mommy!" Natalie said, "Be good, okay? You can play with your toys while Daddy and Mommy visit Great-Grandpa. Try not to be too loud, alright?" Rachel sighed helplessly, then said, "He only took a few bites of food, and | had to persuade him to eat." Upon hearing this, the couple frowned. Without saying anything, they went upstairs. Natalie entered Theo's room, while Trevon chose to return to his own bedroom.

As the door swung open, Natalie was moved by the heartwarming sight before her. The hidden sadness in her heart swelled in her chest as she found her son holding Theo's hand and engaging in a lively conversation. After a brief moment of surprise, she smiled and called out, "Grandpa." "You're home. Go eat something already. I'll chat with Jasper." "Alright, Jasper. Enjoy your chat with Great-Grandpa, okay?" Recognizing Theo's desire for a private moment with Jasper, Natalie chose not to disrupt their heartwarming connection and left the room.

Jasper replied, "Okay." Upon returning to the bedroom, Natalie found Trevon standing on the balcony with a somber expression as his gaze fixed on an unknown point. With an aching heart, she walked over, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. Without uttering a word, she rested her face on his back, pursing her lips. In silence, she clung to him, offering her embrace in the hope of easing his sorrow.

He did not turn around. Instead, he allowed her to embrace him. He held her hands that were in front of his abdomen, causing her to realize that his hands were trembling slightly. After a while, he said in a low voice, "Maybe there's not much tleft." Natalie understood the significance behind Trevon's words and empathized with the emotions he conveyed. She said gloomily, "I know." Actually, there was a reason why Theo's physical condition had suddenly declined. He had contracted a severe cold once, and he never fully recovered. Following his recuperation from the cold, issues with various bodily functions emerged. After a CT scan, it becevident that polyps and cysts appeared on every small part of his body. Just as Theo had mentioned, it was beyond remedy; he could not possibly have every part of his body replaced.

Natalie had anticipated this outcome, but the rapidity of its occurrence took her by surprise.

Trevon said, "Natalie, tonight, | will..." He intended to express his desire to sleep in Theo's room at night, but before he could complete his sentence, Natalie embraced him, offering comfort. "I'm not like Sophia and Olivia. Do what you need to do. Don't worry." "Thank you, honey." Trevon found her response heartwarming. He turned around and hugged her tightly, holding her close in his arms.

Late at night, darkness enveloped the courtyard. Once more, the door to Theo's room was opened.

The man in pajamas strode in, approaching the bed with the ease of someone who had done it a thousand times before. While gently draping the blanket over Theo, Theo surprisingly turned around and weakly remarked, "Can't you just copenly?" Trevon reached out to help tidy up the blanket that was messed up by his grandfather. He chuckled, suppressing semotions, and shifted into a more relaxed tone, "I was afraid of angering you. Why aren't you asleep yet? You were waiting for me, huh?" Theo turned around slightly and Trevon helped him get into a comfortable position. The old man opened his mouth, coughing a few times. After catching his breath, he said, "To catch you. Why do you sneak into my room when you have a wife and children? Go back to sleep already. Don't worry, | can live to see tomorrow's sunrise.

And if fate decides otherwise, the Wilson family's cemetery is bathed in abundant sunlight anyway. You don't have to worry aboutnot being able to catch the sun. Go to bed." After urging Trevon, Theo began to pant heavily.

After Trevon had covered Theo with the blanket, he did not turn on the lights. Instead, he lay down on the couch and chatted with Theo from afar. In other words, he did not intend to leave at all. "I was afraid that you would be bored, so | cto chat with you." Observing that his grandson had no plans to depart, Theo refrained from pressuring him further. He said, "What's there to talk about? | am not very chatty anyway. Well, if you're so keen on chatting, I'll share my thoughts. If you do not listen, I'll give you a good spanking." Trevon fixed his dark eyes on the dim ceiling as emotions swirled within him. "Go ahead. I'm all ears. How could | possibly not listen to you anyway?" Of course, Theo knew the meaning behind his grandson's actions, but he chose not to expose him. "Always bear in mind that the life you currently possess is a precious and hard-won existence." The chat between the grandfather and grandson began.

Theo becparticularly talkative, going on and on without concern for Trevon's acknowledgment. He persisted in patiently reminding his grandson, harboring a concern that something crucial might be overlooked.

When he was tired, he would rest for a few minutes. During these intervals, Trevon did not rush him; he simply listened in silence. As Theo's breathing steadied, he resumed, "In this world, the meeting of one person with another is fate. Encountering someone like Natalie, who is not only forgiving but also committed to a lifetwith you, is indeed a blessing from the heavens. You must cherish her." Trevon understood what his grandfather meant. "I will. Do you want to rest? We can talk tomorrow." "You wish. Do you wantto remind you constantly? No way. You are not like Jasper or Sophia anyway, so you don't get the streatment." Trevon expressed, "It's not completely impossible. If you have the patience to nagevery day, | can willingly listen to you every day without finding it annoying." In the darkness, a teardrop fell from the corner of Theo's eye. Certainly, he grasped the intent behind his grandson's words; he understood that Trevon desired his constant presence by his side. As his teardrop fell onto his pillow, he took a deep breath and shifted the conversation. "You see, Sophia and Olivia are intelligent and brave. It's okay to indulge them a bit now. However, when it's tto set boundaries, you must not be lenient.

They shouldn't bectoo unruly, okay? You are not as adept as Natalie in educating them, so it's essential to pay closer attention to her perspective." "Yes, | get you. I'm sure they will be more sensible next year. You know, Sophia is just a little mischievous, but she isn't naughty. As for Olivia, she might be a tad bolder than Sophia, but she's still a well-behaved girl." What Trevon said was true. The two children did not exhibit typical ladylike qualities; they were more boyish. It remained uncertain how they would evolve as they grew older.

"These two girls are incredibly bright, quickly grasping what people say. Frankly, you're not even as adept as them in this regard, so it's important not to indulge them all the time." Due to their high intelligence, they could occasionally anticipate the thoughts of adults and persistently navigate through sensitive topics, much like Theo's younger sibling.

Trevon asked, "Yes, I'll restrain them when they're a little older. Do you wantto nurture them into ladies or strong women?" Beneath the blanket, Theo chuckled. The journey for the two young ones to grow into refined ladies might pose a challenge, but there was ample tahead, so perhaps the girls would undergo numerous transformations by the tthey reached adulthood. Pondering on the topic of ladies, Theo recalled Hackett's daughter, who exuded grace and gentleness, especially in the way she spoke.

On the contrary, it was quite evident that his two great-granddaughters did not conform to the traditional standards of a lady. "There's no need to be a lady or a strong woman. What's crucial is addressing their mistakes in line with their development. We simply have to grant them the freedom to grow and correct their errors accordingly. | am confident that both you and Natalie can provide excellent guidance and nurture well-behaved children." Theo appeared to have grown tired, starting to snore. Trevon withdrew his hands from the back of his head and approached his grandfather's bed. Taking a seat at the edge, he carefully readjusted the blanket for Theo. With a gentle touch, he pressed it down and whispered quietly, "Grandpa, I'll remember your words. | won't make any more mistakes." After that, Trevon did not return to the couch. Instead, he gently held Theo's wrinkled hand, keeping it still. The texture of the back of the hand did not feel pleasant; all he could feel was skin and bones, reminding him of a skeleton and making him slightly uneasy.

At around 9:30, the door to the room was gently pushed open, a more frequent occurrence of late. Natalie, dressed in pajamas, entered quietly. When she saw Trevon holding his grandfather's hand with unwavering stillness, her expression tightened, and she pursed her lips, choosing to remain silent.

Trevon had shed his usual demeanor; now, he was simply a grandson grappling with the impending departure of his grandfather, desperately attempting to prolong their ttogether. Witnessing this, Natalie felt a pang in her heart. She approached and enveloped him in a comforting hug.

Trevon's free hand encircled her waist, yet he maintained his grip on Theo's hand. Lifting his head, he softly inquired of Natalie, "Are the children asleep?" There were so many things she wanted to say, yet she found herself unable to articulate any of them. She did not know how to console him, after all, the cycle of life and death was something that one must accept. She rubbed the ends of his hair and helped him tidy it up. When she leaned in, she could see the darkness under his eyes, which indicated that he had not slept well recently. "They fell asleep. Before they settled down, they insisted that you coax them to sleep. | had to give them a few spankings before they eventually lay down." Trevon remembered what his grandfather had told him before he went to bed. He pursed his lips, noting that the open door allowed the corridors light to spill in. "Natalie, go to bed." Her gentle hand brushed the tips of his hair and caressed his cheek. "Letkeep you company." "There's no need. Go on. Be good, eh?" He seldom coaxed her in this manner, indicating his strong desire for her compliance.

"Okay. My door isn't locked, so cfindif you need anything. Don't shoulder everything alone, okay? I'm your wife, so letdo my job." Natalie pinched his cheek. She wanted to comfort him, but she could not find the words, so she could only bear this sadness with him.

Trevon agreed. "Sure." Half an hour after Natalie had left, Caleb cin in his pajamas. At this point, Trevon had released Theo's wrinkled hand, carefully tucking it beneath the blanket. Nevertheless, he remained seated in his initial position, showing no inclination to move.

"Letkeep watch tonight. You can return to your room and rest for the night. You see, my leg has long recovered, so | can make do on the couch for the night. There won't be a problem." Caleb approached with the intention of taking over the night watch duty from his son.

Trevon glanced upward, locking eyes with his father. Caleb's gaze then shifted to Theo, who was breathing peacefully on the bed. "Get srest. There won't be many nights like this." Suddenly, the entire room hushed into silence. Amid the quietness, neither the father nor the son uttered a word.

Caleb comprehended the unspoken message from his son, a sentiment known to everyone in the Wilson's residence.

Having stood in contemplation for a while, Caleb eventually made his way back to his room, leaving the night watch duty on Trevon's shoulders.

At 2:30 in the morning, the room was engulfed in profound stillness, undisturbed by any snores. Trevon, resting on the couch, remained motionless for a moment, staring at the ceiling in silence. Finally, he shut his eyes tightly before rising from the couch.

He approached the bed, reaching out with a trembling hand to place it under Theo's nose, checking for any sign of breathing. As anticipated, his grandfather had not given him much time. Although he had communicated to his father about the limited the had with Theo, he had not anticipated being granted just a single night.

Trevon, standing by the bed, was lost in contemplation.

He withdrew his immensely trembling hand. A teardrop rolled down his cheek, falling onto the floor. In the absence of Theo's snoring, the room becso quiet that the sound of the teardrop hitting the floor was audible. Through a sob, he uttered, "Grandpa, | just can't believe that you left as soon as you were done givinginstructions."