Thanks, as always, to campy for his bon-diggity beta and proofing assistance.
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If you saw it on KP, it belongs to Disney.
I.
The old woman rose gingerly from her chair, gripped her walker, and made her way out of the kitchen. There she took down a plate from a cupboard shelf and a box from the local bakery. She took some cookies from the box and neatly arranged them on the plate, which she then took to her small yet comfortable living room. She hated walking with the contraption; it made her feel ancient. She was 82, which was so not old as far as she was concerned. That said, she had long ago conceded that her exceptionally active life had every right to catch up with her – though she may have taken excellent care of herself, she'd also inflicted terrible punishment on her body over the course of many years.
She examined the room. She was expecting visitors and wanted to make sure everything was just so. She smiled as her eyes fell upon a particularly favored photograph.
The picture showed the woman, then but a young girl with striking auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail, with an eager, tow-headed boy. The girl was smiling confidently, despite the fact that her teeth were girded by braces. The boy, flashing a goofy grin, was happily providing his companion with rabbit ears.
Kim had hated that photo when it was first taken; but as she and Ron grew older, as life became more complicated, as they embarked on their lives together, fought more challenging villains, raised a family, dealt with the realities of aging and, ultimately death, the image had become an ever more powerful reminder of youthful, carefree days spent running about Middleton, riding bikes, eating at Bueno Nacho, having adventures in a tree house.
Kim missed Ron terribly. The day he passed away eight years earlier was only the second time in her life she had truly wanted to give up. She wanted nothing more then but to curl up in a ball and die, too, so she could set her pain aside and be with him.
They had been the focus of each other's lives for six decades, and when Kim learned that her best friend and husband was terminally ill it was as if she'd received news that the sun was going to be taken away. To her, there seemed to be no point in living without her Ron. But Ron, who may not have been the brightest bulb in the lamp, was the world's foremost expert on all things Kim Possible Stoppable. In his final days, sensing how bereft Kim would be once he died – he knew how he would feel if their roles were reversed – he made her commit to live for both of them, to remember and draw upon her natural Kimness and to savor every moment of life for as long as she could. As he extracted that promise, he acknowledged to her that he knew she'd miss her daily dose of Ronshine, but vowed that they would be reunited, that he would have a seat waiting for her at the Great Bueno Nacho in the sky, and that he'd not only have some Ronshine but a grande-sized portion of Essential Ronness ready for his KP.
Kim took Ron's death hard and missed him terribly. But she remembered the commitment she'd made to him and, with help and support, she picked herself up and plowed on. She had become her generation's Nana Possible, participating in and running every social activity at Chez Leisure Middleton. If there was something to do, she did it – save date men. She was flattered and bemused when Walter Nelson, looking ten years younger than his age, had asked her out about a year after Ron passed away. She politely declined, knowing in her heart that there really was no substitute for Ron, who had provided her with a lifetime of loving and friendship.
That the silly boy in the picture could have had such a profound impact on her life for so many decades still amazed and delighted her. She was enjoying her memories when the doorbell rang. Kim couldn't help but grin. Her youngest daughter Pim was coming for a visit with her youngest granddaughter Cindy, whom everybody called Cin. That meant Cin's boon companion Ted would be present, too.
Kim loved seeing the odd boy; he reminded her so much of the young Ron. Of course, there were differences between the two. For starters, Ted was very good at math and didn't have any monkey issues. But he had his own unique view of life and definitely marched to his own drummer. It was a source of great pleasure to Kim that her granddaughter had resisted peer pressure and remained close to Ted as she began her voyage into the treacherous waters of adolescence. Kim knew just how fortunate she'd been to have a true best friend during her teen years. Even if her romance with Ron hadn't worked out – and she thanked God everyday that it had – she knew she would have led a far different life if she hadn't enjoyed his friendship through those formative years.
Kim opened the door. As expected, Pim and Cin were there. But there was no sign of Ted. Kim wondered where he was.
II.
Kim settled down in her chair, struggling to not let on that her bones ached. Though Kim was a very well-preserved 82-year-old woman, her arthritis was ferociously annoying at times. She looked at her daughter, who had inherited Ann Possible's willowy figure and large blue eyes. Pim Stoppable Smith was a truly beautiful woman who combined all that was best of the Possible and Stoppable genes. After appreciating her daughter, Kim looked at her granddaughter, who reminded her of herself at that age.
There were times over the years when Kim wished she'd been a bombshell like Bonnie Rockwaller, or an elegant beauty like Monique, or had her Nana's sophisticated features, or her mother's slimmer, taller figure. Instead, she found herself going through life with girl-next-door good looks – not that it really mattered, since the man who captured her heart told her with great frequency right until the very day he died that she was the hottest babe on the planet, and in the end that was all Kim really needed to hear to feel like a woman. She had long wondered if there was some sort of strange gene-skipping thing going on in her family. Kim's mother and daughter were tall, thin and beautiful. Kim, like her Nana, however, was petite; she suspected the same would be true for Cin as she grew up.
Much to her surprise, as Kim grew old, she found that she had not only inherited her Nana's compact physique. She also had picked up the woman's disapproval of teen fashions. Unlike her Nana, though, Kim held her tongue, recalling how her grandmother's comments had tweaked her when she was Cin's age. That didn't stop Kim from noticing that her 13-year-old granddaughter was trying to look much older than she really was.
"So," Kim finally asked, "where's Ted?"
Pim shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Cin casually flipped her hair – it was auburn, like Kim's had once been. "I don't know," the teen said nonchalantly. "Doing something, I suppose."
Cin's cavalier answer surprised and disturbed Kim. "You don't know? I thought you two were inseparable. The dynamic duo. You've been best friends since kindergarten."
"Well, you know, Ted's kind of childish and I'm growing up, so I really haven't seen him lately. You know, Gramma, there's this really awesome guy in my class …"
Kim's nostrils flared. "Awesome guy, really? Let me guess. Great hair, white teeth," she said sarcastically. "I'll bet he's golden."
Cin blinked. "Uh, yeah. You haven't had Great Uncle Wade spying on me, have you?"
"So don't need to," the older woman said. "I've seen this movie already."
"What do you mean?"
"Hottie comes along, catches your attention, who needs the childhood friend, right?"
Cin squirmed. Pim's eyes darted back and forth between her mother and daughter.
"It's not that simple, Gramma. Ted's, like, different, and sooo childish …"
Kim cocked an eyebr0w. Her skepticism was palpable.
"Look, I'm not you," Cin protested. She knew the story of Kim and Ron. "And Ted's not Grampa Ron, 'kay? Things change, Gramma, live with it."
Kim snorted. "Young lady, I never said Ted was Ron. Ron was one of a kind. And don't flatter yourself. You're so not me …"
Pim and Cin both stared at Kim; she was never this tart. Or so they thought. Decades ago, when Kim was just three years older than her granddaughter was now, she'd had a sarcastic tongue that could lacerate. Realizing she had the girl's attention, Kim softened.
"… Don't get me wrong, Cin," the old woman said, seeing the hurt on the girl's face. "You're very special in your own way and I do love you. And, in some ways, you actually are a lot like me. Or like I was at your age." Kim paused, then looked at the old photo that had earlier caught her attention. "Your mom will tell you that I long ago promised not to bore people to death with instructional life stories about when I was young. I so hated when Dad did that to me, especially over breakfast. However, today, I'm making an exception …"
Cin saw the look on Kim's face. The teen was smart, very smart, and knew this was the woman who had saved the world many times over, who knew sixteen forms of kung fu, and had probably found a way to turn her walker into a lethal weapon. Her Gramma Kim was going to tell a story and she really had no choice but to sit back and listen. Fortunately, her grandmother's tales, even the ones with a moral, were usually pretty darned good.
III.
"Sorry, Ron, but I'm, uh, busy," twelve-year-old Kim Possible said into the receiver.
"Well, how 'bout tomorrow?" her best friend Ron asked. "They're gonna have a donkey and face painting! Rufus is so amped, KP."
There was silence at the other end of the line.
"You there, KP?"
"Yeah, Ron. Look, I'm gonna be busy the next few days, okay," she said evasively. "Why don't you go without me." An awkward silence ensued before she added. "I'll, uh, see ya around."
"Oh, okay, Kim," Ron replied softly, before hanging up the receiver.
Part of Ron told himself not to overreact. But Kim had never said anything like that to him before, leading another part of him to fear that he knew exactly what was going on: he and Kim were growing older – and beginning to grow apart. His mother had warned him that this might happen and had encouraged him to make other friends. He'd ignored her, sure that nobody could ever be as cool or loyal as Kim. With a best friend like her, he didn't need other friends. Ron Stoppable had known in his heart that Kim would never abandon him, even as he watched his gangly friend begin turning into a pretty young teen. But Ron now realized his mother was right. Soon enough, Kim would be interested in boys and then she'd have no need for him.
He looked at the now hated phone, the device by which he'd learned of the end of his special friendship with Kim, then at Rufus, wondering if the naked mole rat would grow tired of him, too.
Then Ron threw himself onto his bed and cried. He didn't care if tears were for sissies or little kids. He had never felt so alone or sad in his life.
IV.
Kim hung up the receiver. She felt bad; Ron had always been her best friend. But he was so childish. As if she needed further proof, she now had the "rabbit ears" picture. She looked at the photo – she was trying to look grown up and he was behaving like a little kid.
Things were changing. She was now a junior cheerleader, she was going to join the junior swim team, her odd jobs were beginning to get more interesting – she still got the chills when she thought of the visit to Mr. Paisley's house in Upperton (and conveniently forgot that Ron not only encouraged her to accept what she'd come to think of as 'The Mission' but had also accompanied her) – and she was noticing boys. Well, one boy in particular – Walter Nelson. Kim had wondered how she was going to be able to get to know a boy like Walter if Ron was always tagging along and doing childish things. And suddenly meeting cool boys was so important – all the other girls thought so, too. Kim had been amazed when she learned that Bonnie Rockwaller had actually gone on a real date with a thirteen year old!
Kim looked at herself in the mirror. She was growing up. It wasn't easy, but it was time to set aside childish things. And even if it wasn't easy, that included childish people, too.
V.
Ron was wandering around aimlessly, not sure what to do with himself. It was a Saturday afternoon and he usually would have spent it playing with Kim. But since Kim had told him she'd be "busy for a few days," he was on his own. He still dreamed about going to the carnival, but didn't want to go alone. He'd wanted to share the experience with his best friend. But he knew that was no longer an option since Kim was "busy." Ron sighed. If he wanted to go to the fair, he'd have to go on his own. Unfortunately, there was the little matter of the clowns.
Ron didn't trust clowns. He was convinced that they were up to no good. The clowns might really be ninjas or something. No, the only way he could go was with back-up.
Ron looked at Rufus.
Rufus returned his gaze.
"You got my back, little buddy?" Ron finally asked.
The naked mole rat hadn't a clue as to what his human was talking about. But he liked the big-eared kid and so nodded and said, "Uh-huh!"
Ron made a decision: he was going to the carnival.
VI.
Kim was surprised by how awkward she felt around Walter. She knew he wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss him. But she'd never kissed a boy before and she was afraid her dad might find them and then all havoc would break loose.
She also felt guilty. She and Walter were wandering around the fairgrounds. When Ron had wanted to come, she put him off, telling herself that farm animals and face painting were for little kids; when Walter suggested going, she jumped at the opportunity, simply because she wanted to be with him. She tried to set her thoughts about Ron – not to mention the adorable bunnies she knew would be at the carnival's petting zoo – aside. This afternoon was too important after all to worry about silly things. She was with Walter. And she was determined to kiss him.
They had wandered off and found an out-of-the-way corner. Nervously, the two pre-teens looked around, their eyes darting about. Then Walter put his hands on Kim's shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. They only had what they had seen on TV and the movies to serve as their guide, so they both opened their mouths as they brought their lips together. Kim wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next, and neither, she suspected, was Walter.
But she was pretty sure of one thing.
Their braces were so definitely NOT supposed to lock.
Any feelings of budding romance were immediately displaced by a sense of incipient panic.
VII.
Ron was disappointed. He'd petted the animals, had his face painted, and, so far, avoided the ninja clowns. But doing stuff like this without his best friend just wasn't the same. His hands stuffed into his pockets, his head bowed, he began trudging towards the exit.
He wasn't looking where he was going and turned left when he should have turned right and quickly lost his way.
Ron was trying to retrace his steps when he turned and saw Kim's head.
She was very close to someone. Ron's heart broke. She had actually come to the carnival with someone else. Now he was sure their friendship was over; she'd probably already forgotten him. He was about to run away before he began crying when he noticed that Kim's eyes were opened wide, that she was staring at him – and waving frantically. His first thought when he saw Kim and the boy, who he realized was Walter Nelson, was that they were kissing, but even he knew you didn't flail your arms and makes noises that sounded like "Mmmmph! Mmmph! NNggg! Rrrnnnn! Ear! Elp!"
Ron trotted over to Kim, ready to punch Walter if he was doing anything to hurt her.
"KP!" Ron exclaimed. "What's going –"
He cut himself off in mid-sentence when he realized exactly what was going on. Kim and Walter had indeed decided to kiss. And somehow they'd locked braces.
Ron was hit with a multitude of conflicting emotions. He wanted to laugh at Kim's predicament. She and Walter really did look quite silly. He wanted to cry, because she had known how much he wanted to go to the fair, yet decided to go with someone else. He wanted to turn and leave, for if Kim was too busy for him, why, part of him wondered, should he have time to help her? He wanted to be jealous, because, for some irrational reason he didn't understand at all, part of him thought Kim should be kissing him – they were best friends, after all. But all of that was overwhelmed by a deep sense of affectionate concern. Kim, after all, was his best friend. And, even if she hadn't been the best of friends to him lately, that didn't mean he was going to respond in kind, especially when he saw how her cheeks were flushed. He realized that she was embarrassed – not just because of the situation, but, he sensed, because he saw the pain in her eyes. They'd known each other long enough that Ron could tell she knew how hurt he must feel, seeing her at the carnival with Walter.
Walter Nelson, Ron thought. The best-friend stealer. Sure, he was good looking. But he just seemed terrified. And totally clueless. Ron couldn't understand what Kim had even seen in the guy.
Ron rubbed the back of his neck for a moment, thinking. This was, after all, a lot to take in.
Finally, he pursed his lips, then said, "You got your cell phone, KP? I'll call your mom." Ron didn't have a phone of his own since his father thought they were a passing fad.
Kim's eyes grew even wider. She tried shaking her head, but Walter didn't like that and let out a garbled sound of pain.
"Dnnn cull err!" Kim said.
Ron looked at Kim and Walter and their mouths. It was then that he realized that if Kim's parents saw her like this, she'd be in trouble. Big trouble. He was pretty sure she'd be grounded for the rest of her life.
"Okay," Ron suggested, "how about I call my mom? I'll bet she'll know what to do."
Kim didn't like that idea, either. Surely, Kim thought, Mrs. Stoppable would call her mother who would tell her father and then she would be in soooo much trouble … As she envisioned her unfolding doom, she was surprised to feel Ron reach into the pocket of her capris. "Rnnnn!" she protested.
He ignored her, and without looking at her began dialing the number and said, "Trust me on this, KP. I know what I'm doing."
VIII.
Mrs. Stoppable looked at Kim and Walter and shook her head. Then she looked at her son.
"Please, Mom," he wheedled. "Just do this, 'kay? I, I'll clean out the garage, whatever you want!"
"This isn't right, Ronnie," she said, her arms folded across her chest. "I should call Mrs. Possible, then take Kim to her orthodontist."
"Mom, if you do that, she'll be busted. But, if you take her to Dr. Angfang, they won't have to know, it'll be our secret," he pleaded.
"Ronnie, you don't understand …"
"No, Mom, you don't understand," Ron said with conviction. "Kim's my best friend. And best friends help each other out. Right?" he said turning to Kim, who, unable to think of a way to respond, gave him a thumb's up. She felt utterly foolish.
And very, very fortunate to have a best friend like Ron.
Kim was ashamed that she'd been pushing him away the last few days. She realized that Ron wasn't childish, but childlike. If anyone had been childish, it was she. Her parents had always taught her to treat people the way she'd like to be treated, and she hadn't been doing that with Ron. If she got out of this sitch, Kim vowed to herself, she was going to make sure she was the best friend she could be to Ron, boys or no boys.
Mrs. Stoppable was conflicted. Part of her actually wished Ron's friendship with Kim would come to an end. The expression on the girl's face told her that Kim felt bad, that the two kids could weather this storm. But Walter wouldn't be the last boy in whom Kim would be interested. Sparing Ron future hurt might be the best thing she could do for him. Yet looking at her son's face, Mrs. Stoppable knew that he'd invested so much of himself in this relationship that to let it go would be extremely painful for him. Maybe, she told herself, it would be better to let things play out and hope Kim didn't break her son's heart.
She wasn't wholly sure of the rightness of what she was about to do, but she made a decision. "Okay, Ronnie, we'll go to Dr. Angfang. But we're going to talk about this when we get home."
IX.
Kim rang the bell. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal Ron's mother.
"Hi Mrs. Stoppable, is Ron home?" Kim asked. As the twelve-year-old girl looked at the older woman, she wondered how someone could seem both friendly and forbidding at the same time.
"I think he's in the tree house," Mrs. Stoppable answered.
"Thanks," Kim said. As she turned to go, she looked at Ron's mother. "And thanks again for yesterday, Mrs. Stoppable."
"Don't thank me, Kimberly. Thank Ronnie." Mrs. Stoppable looked at Kim for a long moment, before adding, "I hope you know you're a very lucky young lady."
Kim couldn't help but blush and beam. "I know. Ron's the best best friend in the world."
"Tell him that," she said, seeing and hearing Kim's sincerity. "It will mean a lot to him."
"I will, Mrs. Stoppable; that's actually why I came over," she said as she turned to leave for the tree house. "See ya!"
Mrs. Stoppable smiled, watching as Kim first walked, then sprinted to the tree house.
X.
Ron was reading a comic book when he looked up and saw a familiar crown of auburn hair emerge through the hatch. He sat quietly as Kim climbed into the shambolic aerie.
"Hi," she said, suddenly shy.
"Hi," he responded quietly.
"So, uh," Kim said before falling on Ron and hugging him fiercely. "I'm sorry."
"Hey, it's okay, KP."
"No it's not. You so deserve a better best friend."
"But I like the best friend I've got."
"Really?" she said hopefully; she felt terrible about what happened over the past few days and half expected Ron to tell her he didn't want to be friends anymore. "I was such the jerk …"
"Yeah, well, Mom and I talked about you and Walter. She told me that if we're gonna be friends, I'd better get used to the idea of you and boys. I have to admit that I don't like that," he said, frowning. "I like being with you and if you're with boys, that's less time for me." But then his frown turned into a grin. "Of course, Mom added, you'll have to get used to me and girls! And when I kiss a girl I won't be wearing braces …"
Kim stifled a giggle at the thought of Ron kissing a girl. That's what boys did, and Ron so wasn't a boy – he was Ron. Her Ron. He may have been childlike in so many ways – but when the chips were down the day before he was creative and thoughtful, very grown up actually. He'd stuck by her, even though she wasn't being the best friend she could be. Again, he was being grown up, and for some reason Kim couldn't explain, that made her very proud to be Ron's best friend.
"… well," Ron said, suddenly with less brio, "thanks for stopping by, KP. I know you're busy and all …"
Kim looked at Ron, his eyes now downcast, and took his hands in hers.
"Ron, I'm never again going to be too busy for my best friend," Kim declared.
"Really?" he asked, looking up at her. "You sure, KP, I mean, I know you want to be with Walter."
Kim smiled, then waved her hand. "The whole carnival thing yesterday kind of weirded me out, Ron. Besides, Walter looked like a fish flopping around on the sidewalk when we locked braces. I'm so over him …"
Ron, feeling lost, considered the possibility that girls were not human but must really be beings from some strange, distant planet. One day Kim wanted to kiss Walter, the next she had blithely moved on. It was all so confusing. He was convinced that he'd never understand females.
"… and I want to do something fun with my best friend."
"Yeah?" Ron asked eagerly, setting aside his ruminations. "Like what?"
Kim began to play with her ponytail, then grinned at Ron. "Go back to the carnival. Pet the animals with you; I didn't get to see the bunnies – bunnies are soooo cute. And, well," she admitted quietly, confessing her desire to indulge a guilty pleasure, "I want to get my face painted …"
Ron beamed. He knew something had changed in his relationship with Kim; they'd have to deal with the issues of dating and boys and girls in the future. But none of that mattered at that moment – he had his best friend back.
XI.
Cin felt very uncomfortable. Even knowing the story would have a happy ending, she was horrified by the way Gramma Kim had treated Grampa Ron all those years ago. The idea of them not being together was just too awful to imagine. The young teen knew, of course, just what her grandmother had been doing as the story was being told. Still, as transparent as the ploy was, it was effective. Cin was thinking differently about Ted now, and realizing she missed him. She wondered if he'd even still want to be her friend. It had been a couple of weeks since she'd last spoken with him.
"Why don't you call him?" Kim suggested.
"What?" Cin asked, shaken from her reverie.
"Ted. Call him. Now. If he's really your best friend, you can call him. And if you're really his best friend, he'll want to talk."
"I don't know …" the girl said tentatively. The conversation would be awkward.
"Cin, you're thirteen. The odds are you'll meet and date lots of guys before you find the right one. But you'll only have one Best Friend."
"I never really thought of it that way," she replied before explaining, somewhat tentatively, "it's just that with me and guys and what some of the girls say at school about Ted, that he's a lo–"
Kim exploded, surprising the girl. "Your best friend is NOT a loser. Don't EVER let anyone tell you that," she said with ferocity. "Ted is your best friend and he is so much more important than any stupid food chain!"
Cin could tell that she'd touched a primal nerve of her grandmother's.
"I know he's not, Gramma," she said defensively. "Though he is kind of strange …" she added with a fond grin.
"Strange is fine," Kim observed. "You know the family motto …"
"'Never be normal,' I know, I know," Cin replied, before looking at the photo of a young Kim and young Ron, who'd stayed best friends for more than seven decades. She knew what she needed to do. "You guys mind if I make a videophone call?"
XII.
An hour later, Cin came out of her grandmother's bedroom, her eyes puffy and her cheeks tear-streaked.
"Is everything okay, hon?" Pim asked.
The girl nodded, then sat down by her grandmother, who knew to embrace her.
"You want to talk?" Kim asked gently.
"I hurt him so bad," Cin said. "I really didn't mean to, but I did. I never knew anybody could care about me that much." She sniffled. "Is that what it was like for you and Grampa?"
"Yes," Kim said. "It was. It still is. So, what's the sitch?"
"Ted told me I'm still his best friend and, if I want, he's mine."
"And what did you say?"
Flashing her grandmother the kind of condescending look that only a thirteen-year-old girl can muster, she answered. "Hello! I'm not a complete idiot. I told him he's stuck with me. Forever."
"Smart girl," Kim said approvingly.
XIII.
Kim Stoppable was now 90 and had to use a motorized cart to get around. She detested not being able to walk, but made the best of the sitch, attaching Ron's old scooter basket with its Fearless Ferret badge to the front, which let her feel that he was with her wherever she went, and deriving a modicum of satisfaction from knowing that her old foe Shego, who lived at Shady Villains' Village, had to start using one of the things when she'd turned 87.
Kim's face was now lined and her hair had turned snow-white and was no longer as full as it had once been. But her large green eyes still sparkled – as did those of her visitor. Kim thought about how she had once been young and lithesome, just like the twenty-one-year-old woman who was sitting in her living room. She was disappointed Ted wasn't there, but when Cin explained that he was at some kind of virtual reality game festival raising money for charity, Kim couldn't help but smile, recalling how Ron and Felix would bash zombies to raise money for a good cause.
The two women talked for hours about all manner of things, eventually getting to the topic of dating. Kim listened as Cin recounted her dissatisfaction with the guys she'd been out with recently. Kim was impressed by how many boys were asking out her granddaughter. Of course, she told herself, Cin didn't have to contend with the vivid imagery associated with round-housing goons. Still, she could tell the young woman had reached the point in her life where she was looking for something more, something different, something more than someone with whom she could spend a weekend evening.
"You know, Cin, maybe you should give Ted a chance …"
"Gramma," she groaned, long suspecting that Kim hoped she'd get together with her childhood friend. "Ted and I are not like that. He's my best friend!"
"Well, having a best friend boyfriend worked out for me. And I've noticed that just like your grandfather, Ted has big hands and big feet, which means …"
"TMI!" Cin protested. She didn't want to know this about her Grampa Ron nor about her best friend.
"I just wanted you to be aware of these things. It's so easy to be swayed by good hair or nice teeth," Kim said sagely, speaking from experience. "Sometimes, a man's best qualities are hidden …"
It took Cin a moment to catch her grandmother's double entendre.
"Gramma, I can't believe you said that!"
"What? Did you forget the motto? 'I can do anything,'" Kim said smugly. "Besides, I'm a senior citizen, I'm allowed to say whatever I please." With a wicked smile, she added, "You know, Ron could make me scream …"
Cin's eyes bugged out.
"… Right until he got sick." Kim looked off dreamily and smiled wistfully, then murmured, "When Rondo came to play, he really came to play …"
Cin looked at Kim, at first stunned to hear her grandmother talk this way; Kim had long been forthright with her, but this was new territory. But then Cin's eyes fell on a picture of her then teen-aged grandparents lip-smacking at some formal function, reminding her that the old woman before her had once been young like her and had been in love with a man who loved her. As she looked at the pictures on the wall, Cin could only marvel at passion and attraction that remained undimmed after seven decades. Looking back to the prom photo, she wondered what it must have been like for the two best friends when they first kissed, when they first … And, then, much to her surprise, she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss Ted, maybe even …
The twenty-one year old looked at her grandmother, who was clearly recalling something very, very pleasant from the past. Cin began to wonder what it would be like to spend a lifetime building a store of such memories.
"So, uh, let's just say," Cin stammered as she grappled with new thoughts and emotions, "I was interested in Ted. That way. Not that I am. But if I were. Interested, you know. What would I do? Hypothetically."
Kim smiled. "Well, you can wait for a mad scientist to try to take over the world, have him tie the two of you up to giant fake cacti and hope that Ted says something. Or you can go in the other room and give him a call and invite him out so you can tell him what you're feeling. Hypothetically, of course."
Cin thought about her grandmother's advice. Could she actually ask out Ted? On a date? She couldn't imagine what they'd do. They'd always done friend stuff. Best friend stuff.
As if reading the young woman's mind, Kim observed, "You know, the Middleton Days Fair is coming up, and if you're lucky, there might even be some fireworks …"
The young woman considered everything her grandmother had said.
"Big hands, huh?" Cin finally asked.
"Ferociously big," Kim replied with a huge grin.
Grandmother and granddaughter sat quietly for a moment. The two women began giggling, then broke out into uncontrollable laughter. Cin began thinking that her grandmother might be onto something. Sure, Ted was still strange. But he was kind of cute in his own way, and she really liked being with him, as she had ever since she first met him sixteen years earlier. He was loyal and true and kind and made her laugh. Who knew, maybe they could get something going and still be together when they were 85? Of course, she'd never know unless they first went out on a date.
Cin contemplated things for a moment, then stood up. Smiling, she said, "If you don't mind, Gramma, I think I'd like to use your holophone …"
The End?
A/N: It's only a rough sketch, but you can see Kim and Ron in their early-70s by visiting my devART page. The link can be found on my author's profile page.