“​Mum, why don’t we just let Grandma go away? It’ll be better for everyone,” Masha said defiantly.

Mum, how long will you keep nagging? Are you going to remind me forever? Poppy, fifteen, snapped back, her tone edged with hurt.

Not forever, love, just while Granddads still with us. If he steps out, hell wander off and

and die behind the fence, leaving us with a crushing guilt Mum, why not just let him go? Poppy pressed, eyeing her mother.

Let what go? Helen stared, bewildered.

Let him wander off. You keep saying youre fed up with looking after him.

How can you say that? Hes my stepfather, not my blood, but to you hes a grandfather.

Grandfather? Poppy squinted, the way she always did when anger swelled. Where was he when his son left us? When he refused to sit with me? He never spared you a kind word when you scrambled for any job to earn an extra pound He even blamed you for his wife leaving

Stop it right now! Helen snapped. I told you everything for nothing. She sighed. I raised you poorly; you have no compassion for anyone, even family. Im terrified. When I grow old, will you treat me the same? Whats happened to you? You were always a sweet girl. Youd never walk past a stray kitten or puppy without bringing it home. Grandfather wasnt a puppy Helen shook her head wearily. Hes already suffered enough. Your father abandoned not just us, but him too.

Mum, go to work, youll be late. Ill lock the door, I promise. Poppy looked guilty.

Fine, lets not say more than we need Helen stayed rooted.

Mum, Im sorry, but watching you is painful. Your skin is thin, your bones frail. Youre forty, yet you shuffle like an old woman, barely moving your legs. Always exhausted. Why do you stare at me like that? Who else would tell you the truth but a daughter? Poppys voice rose again, unnoticed.

Thank you. Make sure she doesnt turn on the gas or let the water run in the bathroom.

See? Were stuck with her, like chained. No real life. Mum, lets move her to a care home. Shell have constant supervision; she doesnt understand anything

Again? Helen cut Poppy short.

Everyone will be better off, especially her, Poppy continued, oblivious to her mothers growing irritation.

I wont listen to you any longer. Im not sending her away. How long does she have left? Let her stay at home

Shell live through us both. Go to work. I wont go anywhere; Ill lock the door, I swear, Poppy repeated angrily.

Im sorry. Ive taken it out on you Everyone else goes out, and you stay caring for Granddad.

They argued, ignoring the ajar door to Granddads room. He heard everything, but could barely comprehend it, and would forget it in a heartbeat.

Helen left for her shift, while Poppy slipped into the flat she had once owned, now occupied by Granddad.

Hey, do you want anything? she asked.

Granddads stare revealed no desire.

Come on, Ill get you a sweet, Poppy helped him up and led him to the kitchen.

And you are? Granddad stared at her with blank eyes.

Have a cup of tea, Poppy sighed, placing a candy on the table.

Granddad loved sweets. Poppy and her mother had always hidden most of his treats, giving him only one with his tea. She watched him unwrap the bright wrapper, his thin grey hair shining through the pallid skin of his scalp. She turned away.

Years ago, Granddad dyed and brushed his hair, styled it in a flamboyant coiffure, wore bright lipstick, and pencilled his eyebrows in a perfect arc. Poppy remembered the sugary scent of his aftershave. Men used to fawn over him before his mind began to slip.

Poppy couldnt untangle what she felt for Granddadpity, sympathy, resentment? A sudden knock pulled her from her thoughts.

Mum must have forgotten something, Poppy went to answer.

But at the door stood her friend, senioryear student Simon. Helen never approved of their friendship, so he usually turned up when she wasnt home.

Hey. Why so early? Mum just left, Poppy whispered.

I know. She didnt see me.

Poppy! a voice called from the kitchen, Granddads.

Whos Poppy? Simon asked.

Thats what she calls Mum, and she treats me like a daughter. Ill take her to her room. Go to the bathroom and stay quiet. Shes having a moment of clarity today, Poppy nudged Simon toward the bathroom.

No ones there. Simon stepped back as Poppy entered the kitchen, spotting an empty cup and a candy wrapper on the table.

Id like some tea, Granddad murmured.

But Poppy realised her explanations were futile.

Granddad quickly forgot anything that had just happened, yet clung to distant memories. He often mixed up people, failing to recognise them, especially Helen. Occasionally he experienced brief flashes of awareness, rare and fleeting.

Poppy wondered whether Granddad was feigning another candy trick or truly forgetting the tea hed just had. Who could tell? She sighed, set another cup of tea before him and placed another sweet on the tray.

Granddad clumsily unfolded the wrapper with his unsteady fingers. When the cup emptied, Poppy guided him back to his bedroom and helped him onto the bed.

Now sleep, she said, shutting the door behind her.

From the bathroom, Simons voice drifted out.

Can I come out?

Yes. Go to the kitchen, Poppy glanced at the door, then followed him.

They sat sidebyside at the kitchen table, each with one earbud in, listening to music on a shared phone. Poppy closed her eyes, swaying her head to the rhythm. She didnt notice Granddad slipping into the hallway

When Poppy stepped into the hallway to usher Simon away, she saw the door wide open. She lunged to Granddads room, but he was gone.

The door I didnt lock it. Hes out. Mum will think I left it open on purpose, Poppy whispered, tears brimming.

Why would she think that? Simon asked.

You dont get it. I just said today hed be better off wandering off. Mum will think I deliberately left the door, just to spite her.

Alright, dress up and lets look for him. He cant have gone far, Simon replied.

Poppy glanced at the coat rackGranddads patched coat still hung there, his slippers too.

Did he go out in his nightgown and bathrobe? Poppy asked, bewildered.

Maybe a neighbour? He could have gotten lost on the stairs Ill check the flats, you sweep the street, Simon said, heading downstairs.

On the landing, no one answered the bells. Poppy stopped searching the neighbours and ran outside. Simon darted around the courtyard, peeking under shrubs, behind the childrens playground slide.

Hes nowhere. Lets check the next block. You go right, Ill go left. Whoever finds him first shouts, and we meet back here, Simon commanded and sprinted off.

Poppy raced past the bus stop. Granddad was nowhere. How long had he been out? Half an hour? Forty minutes? Where could a man in a nightgown and slippers wander in that time?

We should call the police, she said.

Wait. Remember where he liked to go? What stories did he tell most often? Simon asked, rummaging through his thoughts.

Poppy tried, but nothing came to mind. She shrugged.

Fine, widen the search. You head toward the school, Ill take the other side, he gestured and ran the opposite way.

Not all street lamps were alight. Dark patches loomed, and Poppy hurried through them, feeling as if someone lurked behind the hedges. Near the school, a memory sparked: Granddad once left a notebook in class, returned to fetch it, but the caretaker locked the doors. Hed leapt out of a firstfloor window and nearly broke his leg.

Although hed never attended that school, he liked to tell the tale whenever he passed. Poppy pushed open the gateunlocked. The school building was a typical brick block shaped like a P. She circled one wing and spotted a group of boys laughing at someone.

Granddad! Poppy shouted, sprinting toward them.

He stood in the centre of the playground in his faded bluegrey robe. One boy held out an empty candy wrapper. Granddad reached for it, thinking it was a sweet, but the boy jerked his hand away, and the gang burst into laughter.

He doesnt understand a thing. Which madhouse did you escape from? Want a candy? the boy teased, brandishing the wrapper again.

Stay away from him! Poppy roared.

The boys turned toward her.

Look, another one!

Who are you? Grandson?

Did you run off with Granddad from the asylum?

Whatever, want a candy? The wrapperwaving boy stalked toward Poppy.

The others followed.

Poppy stepped back. The boys formed a wall, blocking Granddad. Their smiles turned cruel, feeding off his fear and their own power. She pressed her back against the fence, the gates left ajar. As if on cue, the boys lunged.

Poppy waved her arms, trying to keep them at bay, but there were three of them. One grabbed her wrists, the others pinned her against the fence, holding her fast. They probed her, deciding who would strike first.

Everyone back off! Simon shouted from nearby.

Two boys released her, but the third kept a grip. The others grappled with Simon. Poppy kicked the boy restraining her; he howled and let go. She spotted a broken board on the ground, lifted it, ran to the struggling boys, and swung at ones head, but missed and struck her own back.

The boy snarled and lunged again. Poppy fled toward the fence gate.

Miss, come here. Weve called the police a man and a woman on the other side of the fence called out. You lot are thugs, you have no future

The mention of police made the boys scatter. Poppy turned back to Simon.

Thanks for the help. No gratitude needed, the man muttered as they walked away.

At least its over, the woman replied.

Poppy helped Simon to his feet. They approached the trembling Granddad, who thought the men were back again.

Hey, its me, Poppy. Lets get you home, she said, hugging him.

Whos Poppy? Im waiting for Barry. Hell be home after his lessons

Barry left school years ago. Lets go.

I heard everything, Granddad said suddenly.

Heard what? Poppy asked, already guessing.

Perhaps Granddad understood more than they imagined.

Helen wants to send me to a care home. Dont take me away, Granddad sobbed.

Alright, lets go. Its cold, and youre in a thin robe. Youll catch a chill and end up in hospital

I dont want hospital, Granddad muttered.

Together, Poppy and Simon escorted him back. She changed his clothes, gave him a steaming cup of tea with a candy, and tucked him in.

How will you get home, all dirty and bloody? Poppy and Simon asked as they stood in the flats doorway.

It doesnt matter, we found Granddad. You were brave, didnt run away, Simon smiled.

I was terrified. If you hadnt been quick

Alls well. Sorry, that was my fault, I didnt lock the door

Poppy shut the door behind Simon and sat at the kitchen table. The shaking had ceased, but she could not calm her thoughts. She realised that, had she not found Granddad, she would have spent her life carrying the guilt her mother had warned her about. She was relieved it had ended this way.

She felt ashamed of the argument with Helen. It was harder now; she cared not only for Granddad but also for her mother, who had survived two years of cancer. Her stepfathers exwife had asked for help Poppy was only fifteen, with a whole life ahead, yet Granddads remaining years were uncertain. May he live happily in his own fading world, his childhood memories.

She could not picture her mother, ageing, no longer recognising Poppy. She even thought perhaps losing physical health was preferable to losing the mind. No, it would be better if there were no incurable illnesses at alllet people simply die of old age.

Poppy reflected on lifes unfairness. Perhaps Granddad was punished for something, yet she and Helen suffered while he remained oblivious. Did they deserve this? Maybe it was meant to teach Poppy compassion and remorse, to test her, to ready her for the world, to curb reckless words and deeds.

For the first time, Poppy contemplated matters that most of her peers never considered. It felt as if that night had aged her a lifetime. When Helen finally returned, Poppy had not yet gone to bed.

Youre up? Everything alright? Helen sat wearily on the chair opposite Poppy.

All good. Want some tea? Poppy asked.

Ill have some.

Poppy set two cups on the table and placed two candies beside them. They exchanged a smile and laughed, unable to stop.

Perhaps the folly of old age is a mercy granted to those who cannot face their own past, wrote Colin MackAlloy.

Everyone wants to live long, but no one wants to be old.The kettle whistled, and the steam curled between them like a secret. Helen lifted the cup, her hands trembling just enough to remind Poppy that the years were still catching up, but her eyes were clearer than they had been in months.

You know, Helen began, voice softer than the clatter of the earlymorning traffic outside, when I was a girl I used to sit on my mothers knee and watch her bake biscuits. Shed tell me stories about the war, about love lost and found, and Id think that every memory was a treasure chest. I think Granddad has been trying to hand us a chest all along, even if his hands shake now.

Poppy inhaled the scent of the tea, the faint sweet of the candy beside it, and felt a warmth spreading far beyond the mug. She reached across the table, fingers brushing Helens knuckles, and whispered, Well keep the chest open. Well let him stay here, but we wont be alone.

At that moment the front door clicked open. Simon stepped in, his backpack slung over one shoulder, a gentle grin on his face. I talked to Mrs. Patel from the community centre, he said, laying a folded pamphlet on the table. They have a daytime programme for people with dementiaart, music, garden walks. Its not a home; its a place where they can still belong, and we can help look after Granddad without losing ourselves.

Helens shoulders relaxed, and a laughthin but genuineescaped her. Youre right. Weve been trying to protect him by keeping him locked in, but maybe the protection is letting him drift a little, surrounded by others who understand.

They all looked at the worn photograph on the fridge, the one taken at a summer fair when Granddad still wore his bright lipstick and a flamboyant hat. In the background, a younger Helen stood beside him, arms around each other, smiling without a hint of the shadows that would later fall.

Lets give him a proper goodbye, Poppy said, her voice steady. Not because hes leaving, but because were choosing to love him now, fully, even when the memories fade.

That afternoon, a small group gathered in the garden behind the flat. Granddad, dressed in a fresh coat and soft slippers, sat on a wooden chair, his eyes following the children as they chased bubbles that glimmered in the lateday sun. A gentle breeze carried the faint melody of a song he used to hum while applying his signature eyeliner. A neighbors granddaughter handed him a new candy, its wrapper bright as the ones hed cherished for years. He smiledslow, hesitant, but unmistakable.

As the sky turned amber, Helen took Granddads hand, their fingers interlacing. Well keep you close, she whispered, but well also let you walk with us, even if the path is short.

The night settled in, and the flat grew quiet. Poppy lay in her room, the soft hum of the hallway lights a lullaby. She thought of the weight of guilt that had pressed on her shoulders, now loosened by the simple truth that love isnt measured by how long you stay, but by how deeply you listen when the world gets noisy.

In the early hours, Granddads breath grew shallow, his hand resting on Helens. He looked up, eyes clear for a fleeting second, and said, Thank youfor the tea, the candy, and the song.

Helen pressed a kiss to his forehead, tears tracing the lines of her face. And thank you, for teaching us that even the smallest kindness can reshape a whole lifetime.

When the sunrise painted the street gold, a small wooden box sat on the kitchen table. Inside lay the empty candy wrappers, the crumpled notebook pages, and a handwritten note in Granddads shaky script:

*Life is a series of doors, some we lock, some we leave ajar. May the ones you keep open bring you peace.*

Poppy folded the note, tucking it into her pocket alongside a fresh candy. She stepped out onto the balcony, the city waking below, and felt the weight of the past lift, replaced by a quiet promise: to honor the doors left open, to keep the candles burning, and to never forget that the smallest sweetness can illuminate even the darkest hallway.