It was almost bedtime, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something.
Of course, he wasn't so sharp anymore, and he often had to concentrate very hard to remember much of anything – be it a birthday, a holiday (he had almost forgotten his granddaughter's wedding last year and doubted he would ever be able to live that one down). With age came patience, and with patience came the realization that nothing was quite as urgent as it might seem.
Sighing, he pushed himself out of the old rocking chair on the porch and hobbled down the steps, leaning heavily on an old wooden cane. Everything about him seemed to be old now – his house, his wife, his children, himself – but that hardly mattered. Life was all about growing old (his teenage years had taught him that lesson quite well).
"Hello, brother," he mumbled, smiling a bit at the sight before him. Chuckling, he wrapped the stone with his cane. "You know, you would have been a lot more likeable if you had been this polite when you were alive."
His body creaking and groaning, the old man bent down and nestled an old metal pocketwatch in the grass under the gravestone. "I don't know why you bothered to keep it this long, honestly. Figured you should have it back now."
The crude, scratchy words on the inside were one of the few things he could read without his glasses anymore. "I'll see you soon," he murmured, turning to hobble back down the road.
Oh, that was it, he realized halfway home. He had left the oven on.
Mei would be furious if he burned the apple pie.
As much as his body ached and complained, Al found himself walking a little bit faster.
Don't forget ! Also my sister's birthday, if you're interested in a fun fact like that. It's actually my third FMA Day (I got into the fandom July 2010 if I remember correctly), and I would feel awful about not contributing to FMA day, hiatus or not. The new chapter fic is in the works as I write – but titles are hard to brainstorm ;)
Hope you enjoyed, and have a happy FMA Day! (Okay, honestly it'll probably murder you with feels, but nevertheless.) I may end up contributing more – we'll just have to wait and see.