One of the earliest memories that Jessica Megan Duncan has of her grandfather is a picnic in Perez Park.

She couldn't have been more than four years old, but she felt like quite the big girl because she walked all the way from the car without once being carried by Grandpa. Grandpa wasn't wearing his working clothes, and no one seemed to know who he was. That seemed to make him happy; Grandma said Grandpa was happiest when he was treated like everyone else.

Mommy and Daddy were away on some kind of grownup business (Megan didn't really understand what it was), so she was staying with her grandparents. Grandma hadn't been feeling well, so it was just her and Grandpa today. Megan could tell that Grandpa didn't like leaving Grandma at home, but Grandma had insisted they come.

Megan liked spending time with Grandpa. He told her the best stories about what Paragon had been like when he was a little boy. Sometimes they'd let Grandma sleep in, and they'd watch old movies on the TV. Grandpa would tell her about meeting the movie stars and show her pictures of himself in his working clothes with them.

Today, they were going to eat the lunch that Grandma had made for them, take a walk around the park, and go for a ride in one of the paddleboats on the lake. Grandpa even told her they might go flying later if she were a good girl, so she was on her best behavior.

It wasn't easy, though. Megan was a curious, smart girl, and she often saw things that adults didn't expect her to. This meant that sometimes she would say or do things that no one expected her to.

Megan knew that her grandfather was different from other grandpas. Grandfather Duncan wasn't like Grandpa Cole at all. He was old and wrinkly, like Grandma Cole. Megan didn't understand why this was so.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes, baby?" She noticed that Grandpa always seemed to be looking around like he expected something to happen.

"Why aren't you old?"

"I am old, honey. I'm older than anyone you know."

"Older than Grandma Cole?"

"Yes." And he sighed.

Megan squeezed his hand. She felt bad, though she didn't understand why. "Why don't you look old?"

"That's a long story, baby."

"I want to know!" Megan insisted.

Marcus Cole laughed. "I know, sweetie. You're just like your mother and grandmother. You never give up." He walked over to a picnic table and set their basket down. "A very long time ago—before your Mommy and Daddy were born, even—I was very sick."

"Did you have to get a shot? I hate shots!"

"No, baby. No shot in the world could help me. There was only one thing that could." He shut his eyes. "So long ago …" he whispered.

"What could help you, Grandpa?"

"A special magic water. Some friends and I—some very good friends—went looking for the water. We found it, and when I drank it, I got all better. In fact, I was better than I had ever been before."

"Is that why you can fly?"

"Uh huh."

"What happened to your friends?"

"They're gone now …"

Grandpa looked so sad that Megan stood up on the picnic bench and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't be sad, Grandpa!"

He hugged her back. "Thank you, sweetie."

"And the magic water is why you don't get old?"

"Uh huh. I haven't gotten any older since that day over 50 years ago …"

"Wow." Megan had no idea her Grandpa was that old! "Did you know President Washington?"

Grandpa laughed and hugged her. "No, honey. Even I'm not that old!"

"Will Mommy never grow old?"

Grandpa shook his head. "She takes after your Grandma."

"Oh." Megan frowned. "What about me?"

"We don't know yet, honey."

"I bet it's neat to not grow old …"

"Megan." Grandpa turned around so she was looking him in the face. "Honey, listen to me. You would not want my life. You wouldn't want to stay the same while everyone and everything you know ages and changes … I would never want that for you or your mother …"

Megan squirmed. She didn't like the look in Grandpa's eyes. She was smart enough to know that he was trying to tell her something important, but she was young enough to not want to understand. "I'm hungry."

Grandpa hugged her tightly. "Okay, baby. Let's eat that lunch your Grandma made us. I'm sure I saw some cake in there …"

"I love you, Grandpa," Megan said suddenly.

"I love you too, sweetie." Marcus Cole smiled sadly as he held her tight. "And that's one thing I'm glad will never change …"