I don't own the Nancy Drew series, games, books, or otherwise.
A door creaked open, allowing a single stream of light to fall inside and illuminate the room within. A hand, wrinkled and weathered with age and injury, shakily reached in and flipped a switch. Light flooded the rest of the space, revealing an odd collection of various objects on shelves and in glass cabinets. The woman who had turned the light on smiled gently. Her once-titian hair had faded to a light silver, and age spots appeared on the spots her nightgown did not cover. But as she shuffled further inside, the years began to lift from her. She looked almost young again.
After glancing back at the door, she selected a dusty old book from a shelf. She sat down in a rocking chair in the corner and opened it, gently blowing on it as the memories it held became visible. Her smile grew as she fondly read the words under each photo or item, her mind conjuring up the stories that went with everything. Nancy Drew saves River Heights! Nancy Drew nabs 'em again! What adventures she and her friends had had!
The door creaked again, and Nancy's heart jolted as her head snapped up. Standing at the door was a little girl, no older than seven. She looked very much like Nancy had, back when she solved cases in her neighborhood with her trusty blue notebook. The only major difference was the girl's brown hair which had likely come from her grandfather.
"Kate," Nancy said. "What are you doing up, sweetie? You're supposed to be in bed."
"Sorry, Grandma. I couldn't sleep," the girl replied. "What are you doing?"
Nancy smiled and gestured for her granddaughter to join her. The child walked over and sat in her lap. "You know I was a detective back in the day, right?"
Kate nodded, looking curiously at the album.
"Well, I kept things from every case I ever solved," Nancy explained, her fingers tracing over the page. "Lots of photos, of course, but plenty of other things too. Train cards, phone charms, statues, even some very odd things like the arm from an amusement park attraction."
Kate's nose wrinkled. "Why?"
"To remember," Nancy replied. "I had a lot of good times solving mysteries. But I also had a lot of sad or scary times. And I wanted to remember them all, both as something to enjoy and something to remind me to be careful."
The girl shrugged and turned the page. "Is this Auntie George?"
"And her cousin, Bess," Nancy added. "That was from Japan. I went there to teach English for a little while. I solved the mystery of a haunted ryokan while I was there."
"Ryokan?"
"Basically, an inn."
"Ok," Kate said. "Why do you look like Brady Armstrong with a banana for a face?"
Nancy laughed. "We all said the same thing," she said. "I wasn't a very photogenic person, so I didn't like having my picture taken."
Kate thumbed through the album, taking in everything. She paused for a long moment at a picture of Nancy dancing in a cat suit. Nancy waited patiently, but Kate simply turned the page, either not caring or just unwilling to ask.
When the album was finished, Kate hopped down so Nancy could put it back on the shelf. "What other memories are in here?" Kate asked.
"All kinds," Nancy said, leading her over to one of the glass cabinets. "This cabinet is probably the most important."
Kate's eyes locked on a golf ball. "That's from your dad, isn't it?"
Nancy chuckled. "Yeah, it is," she said, a sad smile on her face. "He loved his golf game. People used to say he actually was a golf ball, he loved it so much."
Kate giggled, then shifted her gaze to some sheet music. "What's that?"
"Those are some songs that my mother wrote," Nancy answered. "They actually helped me solve one of the most important mysteries of my life. She's also the person you're named after."
"Cool," Kate said. Then her eyes lifted and landed on the second to topmost item, a locket. "And what's that?"
"That's something your grandfather gave me a long time ago," Nancy replied. "It was almost stolen from me in Venice, but I was eventually able to get it back."
Seeing the curious look on her granddaughter's face, Nancy pulled out the necklace and opened it to show Kate. Inside was a tiny picture of herself and Ned cut into the shape of a heart. On the other side was another heart containing the letters ND + NN. Kate studied it for a long moment, her face solemn. Nancy felt tears beginning to collect in her eyes. She quickly put the necklace back, hiding her face from Kate.
"Was it hard?"
Nancy blinked. "Was what hard?"
"Ned didn't solve mysteries with you, right?" Kate said. "Was it hard being away?"
Nancy nodded. "It was," she confirmed. "And it led to more than a few arguments over the years. But we always managed to make it work. That's something to remember when you get old enough to date, sweetie. Never, ever give up the thing you love the most for another person. If they're worth it, they'll help make it work."
Kate made a face. "I don't ever want to date boys," she said. "They're icky."
Nancy shrugged. "And if you don't, that's fine," she said. "You could date girls, or no one. As long as you're happy, that's what I want to see."
Kate considered this. "Thanks, Grandma," she said after several moments. "But I think I'd rather go on adventures. Maybe I'll be a great detective, just like you?"
"Well, then you'll need something," Nancy replied.
"What's that?"
Nancy reached to the top shelf. Her fingers clamped around a long, black handle. She couldn't help but smile as she felt the familiar weight in her hand. She then turned and presented it to Kate. "Every detective needs a magnifying glass."
Kate gasped, taking it from Nancy with shaking hands. "It's so cool," she gushed.
"Be careful with it," Nancy warned. "That magnifying glass has helped me more times than I can count. It's more valuable than gold."
"I'll take good care of it, Grandma, I promise!"
Nancy felt warm inside as she gazed at the pure delight on the young girl's face. "I'm glad to hear it," she said. "But now you need to go to sleep. Good detectives need to rest so they can solve cases better."
Kate nodded eagerly. "Good night, Grandma!" she shouted as she raced out of the room with the magnifying glass.
Nancy shook her head, still smiling. "Mom, Dad, Ned, Bess," she said quietly. "Watch out for her. I have a feeling she's going to be a great sleuth."