Hi everyone! The writing ideas aren't there as they used to be, but I have experienced an event that has inspired me to write about it. My grandpa passed recently, and it was my first experience with a death in the family. It gave me the idea of writing a story based on that experience, and I thought it would be the best to write it in Wilbur's POV. I hope you will enjoy this story. My grandpa was a different person compared to Grandpa Bud, but most of Wilbur's experiences were also my own. DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" or "Criminal Case." I only own Karena, Diana, and Wesley.

STORY #34: Remembering Bud

STORIES OF REFERENCE: A New Life

NARRATOR: Wilbur

January 15, 2052 – New York City, New York, USA

"Agent Robinson speaking."

"Wilbur, it's Amy. Please come to my office as soon as you can."

"I'm on my way."

I hung up my cell phone and paced myself over to my boss's office. I was smiling as I went because I absolutely love my job. I am the historian of a secret agency called TIME, the Temporal, Investigation, Management, and Exploration agency, and our purpose was to prevent crimes from occurring throughout the time stream. If a crime had occurred, I was part of the team that went back in time and changed the events again to restore the timeline. Sometimes, an arrest was made if we found the timestream perpetrator. My knowledge of world history and my Italian ancestry contributed the most to these arrests, and ever since I got the job almost seven years ago, I really started to appreciate my family and our past.

I finally approached Amy's office, and I knocked. Once I heard my boss telling me to 'come in,' I entered. My smile faded when I saw a serious look on her face.

"Amy, is everything alright?" I asked.

"Wilbur, you may finish your reports on the Great Wall case, and then you may go."

"I get to go home early?" I asked with surprise, knowing that I always stayed the entirety of my shift. "I appreciate that, but what brought this on?"

"Your wife called me while you were in Oriental China," Amy explained, standing up from her desk. "She just told me to have you come home as soon as you can. There's been an emergency in the family."

I dropped my jaw in alarm, instantly worried that one of my children had gotten injured.

"Amy, I'm going home right now. My family needs me. I can finish the reports tomorrow."

Amy put a smile on her face, assuring me that everything was going to be okay.

"Wilbur, it's more serious than that, but please know that you have all my support. If there's anything you need, please let me and Russell know. You may finish your reports when you return to TIME."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Life happens. Not everything will go the way we want them to go. Besides, I am your boss. Based on your situation, I am fine with you turning in your reports late. Please call me with any updates. Russell, our children, and I love you, Wilbur, and we love your family, too."

"I will. Thank you for understanding."

I rushed back to my office to clock out. After I hurried out of my office and out of headquarters, I realized that I didn't have a train to take me home. It was only twelve-thirty. I took out my cell phone to call Amy's husband, who had always given me a ride to the train station in Westport, where I lived with my family.

"Hey, Wilbur."

"Hi, Russell. Amy told me—"

"Amy has already told me everything," Russell interrupted. "I'm on my way to New York right now. I should be at headquarters in ten minutes."

"Russell, you and Amy are both amazing. Thank you!"

I hung up, feeling relieved that I was already taken care of. In ten short minutes, Russell, my boss's husband, pulled up in his flying car, and I hopped in.

"Thank you so much, Russell."

"It's my pleasure," Russell, who still had some blonde hair to my amazement, replied. "I want to help in any way I can."

"Did Amy really tell you everything?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, everything that I don't know about?"

"All Amy told me was that Karena called her telling her to send you home right away. From her tone, it sounded like it was an emergency."

"Is it my kids?" I asked, the worry coming back to my voice.

"No, your kids are fine."

I blew a big sigh of relief. My wife and my kids were alright. Diana was only turning seven while Wesley was only two years old.

"Which probably means we're going to Todayland," I said, this time with a sigh of worry.

"I hope everything will be okay," Russell replied. "I'm always a phone call away if you would like to talk."

Westport, Connecticut, USA

Russell dropped me off at the house and I hurried inside.

"Honey, I'm home!" I yelled.

I heard a dish drop into the sink, and I watched my wife Karena running toward me. I was shocked as she hugged me hurriedly.

"Karr, honey, what's going on?" I asked.

"Wilbur, it's your grandpa."

"My grandpa? What happened?"

"Grandpa Bud had a stroke yesterday," Karena answered with tears in her eyes. "Grandma Lucille is asking us to come to Todayland right away. I already packed everything for the kids."

At first, I was so shocked that I could not say anything. Then, I took some deep breaths to give myself some composure.

"I guess I'd better pack."

I started heading up the stairs when I realized something else.

"Karr, Russell just dropped me off here. We're going to need his help again."

"I'll call him," Karena replied before I went up to our room.

Todayland, North Montana, USA

Thankfully, there was an early flight for Todayland and we boarded the plane at three o'clock Eastern Time. It was a four-hour flight from New York to Todayland, but because we crossed over two time zones, our plane landed at Todayland International Airport sometime after five o'clock Mountain Time. After we got off our plane, we were greeted by Cornelius and Franny, my parents; Carl; and Aunt Billie.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" both my kids yelled excitedly.

Karena and I watched our kids happily run toward my parents. My dad easily lifted Diana off the ground into his arms, while my mom lifted Wesley and spun him around. Meanwhile, Carl approached me and gave me a hug, and I returned it.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, little buddy," Carl told me.

"Carl, I'm not a kid anymore," I replied solemnly.

"I know that. But you always will be my little buddy. Right now, we're all wishing we went back in time to be younger again."

"Tell me about it," I replied, letting out a sigh.

"Let's go everyone!" Aunt Billie announced.

We all hurried into her train, and we were off to my childhood home. When we got out of the airport, the city of Todayland came into view. All of those instant buildings that came to life, the monorails that my dad invented, the bubble transportation… all of this happened because my grandpa had inspired him to think, invent, and inspire. I smiled, because it was not just my dad behind these inventions; my grandpa was behind them also. My grandpa may have only been a science teacher, but he certainly taught my dad, the Father of the Future, some things, and I will be forever thankful for that.

We eventually got to the house, and we were immediately greeted by most of the family.

"Welcome home, Wilbur!" Laszlo, my cousin, said excitedly.

"Karena, welcome home," Tallulah greeted my wife with a hug.

"Who wants pizza?" Uncle Art yelled with excitement.

"Me!" Diana and Wesley answered excitedly.

Karena and I watched our kids walk behind my two uncles, Art and Gaston.

"Where did everybody else go?" Karena asked.

"Dad and Uncle Joe are with Uncle Bud in the hospital," Tallulah explained. "Aunt Lucille has not left his side since the stroke."

"Have you heard from a doctor?" I asked.

"Well, we brought your Grandpa Bud to the emergency room because his entire left side was drooping," Dad explained.

"He also didn't talk much," Mom chimed in. "He tried, but it just came out as blurs."

"After they conducted tests, they told us that he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke."

"He was bleeding in the brain?" I asked. "That's not good."

"When I heard from Grandma Lucille, a neurosurgeon was examining him to see if he needs an operation," Dad continued. "But given his advanced age—"

"You're thinking that a surgery is too risky?" I asked. "How old is he?"

"He's in his 80s, sweetie," Mom answered.

"I wish there was a way to keep him alive," I spoke up, and I realized that there was some part of me that was still a kid.

"We all wish that, Wilbur," Dad assured me. "But none of my inventions were made to keep people alive. Sure, my inventions can help people live a better life. But they cannot prevent death."

Dad let out a sigh.

"I remember something that Grandma Lucille told me when I was your age. She made me promise not to invent something just to prolong one's life. Despite the improvements that technology has made, everyone still dies in one way or another."

Dad let out another sigh.

"We all will have to live with the fact that Grandpa Bud will die within the next week."

Grandpa Bud came home that night with Grandma Lucille, Uncle Joe, Aunt Billie, and Uncle Fritz. Unfortunately, we were told that nothing could be done regarding Grandpa Bud's stroke. Instead, we were told to give him comfort, love, and peace until his passing. We all went to bed with depressed moods, and this was the first time we ever went to bed with them.

The next morning came, and I asked my mom to let my family have breakfast in a different room – my room. Grandma Lucille also opted to not join the family at breakfast. She ate breakfast with Grandpa Bud in their room.

"Daddy, why are we eating breakfast in your old room?" Diana asked me with her big brown eyes.

I put down my fork on my plate, and I let out a big sigh. I gave Karena, who was helping our toddling son with his breakfast, a glance before turning back to our daughter.

"Diana, this kind of news is never easy to give when it involves your own family," I explained calmly. "I hope you'll understand what I am about to say. Your great-grandpa, my Grandpa Bud, is dying."

"Great-Grandpa is gonna die?" Diana asked, her brown eyes getting wider.

"Going to, Diana," Karena corrected her. "I wish it wasn't true, sweetie, but Great-Grandpa Bud is bleeding in his brain, and the doctor does not know how much longer he has to live."

"But, you are turning seven soon," I continued. "So I'm going to teach you something here. Dying is a natural part of life. Every single person is born, and every single person dies. In between those two moments, a person grows up and learns a lot about themselves and about life in general. Each person goes to school, gets a job, gets married, and has children. Each person continues to grow up after they have children, and their children gives birth to a new generation. You and Wesley are our new generation, and Mommy and I could not be any more proud of that. And, I will bet you, that your Great-Grandma Lucille and Great-Grandpa Bud are even more proud because they got to see you two be born and learning from us."

"But, one person's death has an influence on his or her family and friends," Karena chimed in. "My mother died when I was your age, Diana. When someone you love dies, you'll see people around you cry for days. They might not eat because of their loved one's death. They may be more angry or sadder than usual. This is called grief, and grief can last for days, or it can last for months. Some people even die from grief, because it is too great to overcome."

"And princess, this is very normal," I chimed back in. "All we can do to be there for someone is to tell them 'I love you.' Or, you can give them a hug, but be sure to ask first. People who are grieving are very sensitive to physical touch, because they can never touch their loved one again."

"Mommy, what did you do when your mommy died?" Diana asked.

I smiled when I noticed that Wesley was gazing at us, but he was smiling the whole time. It made me think that he understood some of what was going on, but not all.

"I cried for years," Karena answered with a smile. "My daddy worked in a chemistry lab before and after my mommy's death. Most of the time, I was alone with no one to take care of me. I had to take care of myself. You and Wesley are fortunate to have each other, because I had no brothers or sisters."

"I did not have any brothers or sisters either," I chimed in. "Your mommy is right. Diana and Wesley, you two are going to have a bond that Mommy and I never had. When Mommy and I die, you two will not be alone because you are brother and sister. That is a big blessing."

"Your daddy is right," Karena continued on with a smile. "And speaking of your daddy, I never stopped crying from my mommy's death until I met him. He made me realize that I was never going to be alone again, and I finally overcame my grief after eleven long years."

"Diana, I need you and Mommy to do me a favor," I told my daughter. "Please pray for me. I have never lost a grandparent before, and I never realized until today that I would experience grief for the first time very soon."

"Oh, Wilbur."

I felt my wife hugging me, and I started to cry. I felt two more pairs of arms surrounding me, and our food was left untouched.

We spent that day and the next two days taking turns to see Grandpa Bud and Grandma Lucille, who had yet to leave his side. My mom brought down a note that Grandpa Bud wrote with his good hand to Lucille. The note said,

"My dear Lucy, do not worry about me day and night. I will be watching over you soon. Don't let this stop you from doing what you love. You have a spunk that made me realize I wanted to marry you. And Lucy, the last 60 years were the best years of my life, because you molded me to become my best, and I sure did marry the best. I love you, always. Your dear old Bud."

I had gone up three times, once each day, to see Grandpa Bud. The first two times only made me cry. Grandpa Bud was still breathing, but he was asleep, and he looked to be fragile. I had told him, "I love you, Grandpa," but he did not respond. That Wednesday, I was so depressed that I took my dad's blue time machine and flew to Todayland for old times' sake. Grandpa Bud actually did scold me a couple times for recklessly using the time machine, but he always made a joke after those talking-tos.

"I looked better than George Washington did when I was his age," Grandpa Bud would say.

"Pablo Picasso?" Grandpa Bud would ask me before blowing a raspberry. "I have MASTERED the art of Picasso: my head is on backwards!"

My third time happened that Thursday, and it started out the way it usually did.

"Hello, Wilbur," Grandma Lucille greeted me with a depressed look.

"Hi, Grandma," I replied. "No change?"

"No, he's the same."

I thought of an idea.

"Grandma, you need a break. When was the last time you were downstairs with the family?"

"I'm not going down until Grandpa Bud is well again."

"Grandma, he's—"

"I mean it, Wilbur!" Grandma Lucille snapped, possibly for the first time in my life. "Don't you dare say that he's dying! I know that! We made a promise to love, honor, and cherish each other until death do us part. I want to stick by my promise until that day comes."

All I could do was stand there in shock. Then, I closed my mouth and solemnly hung my head as I took a seat on a chair on the other side of the bed.

"Oh, Wilbur, honey, I'm so sorry," Grandma Lucille said with sadness in her voice, and I felt her hands massage my shoulders. "I did not mean to snap at you. You didn't deserve that."

"Grandma, you love him," I replied. "I understand. I would have done the same if Karena was in his place. This hasn't been easy for any of us, has it?"

"I never thought Grandpa Bud would go so soon," Grandma Lucille replied. "I never thought any of us would go through what we're going through right now."

There was a pause.

"I suppose I do need a small break. I need to tinkle. Will you watch him for me?"

"Of course, I will," I answered with a smile.

Grandma Lucille left the room, and I turned back to watch my grandpa sleep. I held his right hand, and I smiled.

"Grandpa, I love you. I always will love you. And I'm going to miss you. I hope heaven is everything you imagined it would be."

Suddenly, I felt my hand being squeezed. I looked up to see my grandpa awake with a smile on his face.

"Hey there, buddy."

I was shocked to hear his voice so clearly.

"Hey there, Grandpa. It's good to see you."

"Where am I?" Grandpa Bud asked, and it dawned on me that he may not have been conscious for a while.

"You're home, Grandpa. You are in your own comfy bed. I'm your grandson, Wilbur."

"I know your face, Wilbur," Grandpa Bud replied, still smiling at the sight of me. "Are the kids here?"

"Yes, Karena and the kids are here, too."

"Good, I'm glad. I think we both know what is going to happen to me."

"Yes, Grandpa, and I'm so sorry."

Tears started to form in my eyes again.

"No, Wilbur. Don't be sorry. Be glad. We were a part of each other's lives, and I'm happy that we shared a life together. You are my grandson. My death will not change that. The only thing that I want you to promise me is that you will love those kiddos to death. Be silly once in a while. You can show them my teeth."

I laughed a genuine laugh. Grandpa Bud had always looked for his teeth because one of my mom's frogs would always take them from his mouth. And finding them was full of laughs.

"I don't think showing my kids your teeth will be necessary," I replied. "But I promise to be silly and love my kids for you."

"And Wilbur? I love you too."

I smiled and cried at the same time, happy that he heard me all three times. Just then, Grandma Lucille walked in the room.

"Bud, honey, you're awake!" she exclaimed.

I turned to see her smiling with tears in her face.

"I'll leave you two alone," I said, still with a smile on my face as I left the room.

Friday came, and we started our day with the new usual norm. I had breakfast with my wife and children in my room. Grandma Lucille stayed in her room with Grandpa Bud. The rest of the family had breakfast in the dining room. Just as we finished our breakfast, we heard the travel tube activating, and out came Carl.

"What's up, Carl?" I asked.

"Wilbur, Grandpa Bud would like to see you in his room."

"What about us?" Karena asked.

"Just Wilbur, Karena," Carl answered.

Karena and I exchanged hugs before I followed Carl up the travel tube. We landed on the second floor, and we walked to my grandparents' room. When we walked in, I was greeted by select family members: my parents, Uncle Joe and Aunt Billie, Uncle Fritz and Aunt Petunia, and Grandma Lucille. Carl remained in the room. I was amazed again when I saw Grandpa Bud smiling with his eyes open. I watched as he gazed at each person in the room with a fond smile. We all had teary smiles on our faces. I also realized that there was music playing in the room: Grandpa's favorite song was the William Tell Overture, and it was playing quietly.

"I love you, all of you," Grandpa Bud said weakly.

Each one of us said "I love you, too" to him.

"I am now going to finish the race," Grandpa Bud said, still smiling. "I'll see you all up there."

We laughed, understanding what it meant. To Grandpa Bud, he always referred to this song as the theme for races. We watched as he closed his eyes… for the final time. He let out his last breath, and he was still. All of us started crying and hugging each other. My parents gave me a hug, and I hugged them back, letting the tears fall on each other. I glanced at my watch: Bud Robinson had died on January 19th, 2052 at 10:10 AM.

"I should tell Karena and the kids the news," I said quietly.

"We'll come with you," Mom replied. "You shouldn't do it alone."

My parents and I left the room, and we returned to my room through the travel tube, only to find my family was not in the room.

"I wonder where they could have gone?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Maybe they met up with the others in the dining room," Dad suggested.

We took the travel tube there, and we were greeted by the rest of the family: Grandpa Bud's niece and nephew, Laszlo and Tallulah; my uncles Art and Gaston; and my family.

"How is your dad doing?" Tallulah asked.

"He has passed on," Dad answered, wiping away a tear from his eye.

"It was a beautiful moment with his immediate family there," Mom chimed in. "Bud is now in good hands, with God."

"Is Aunt Lucille okay?" Laszlo asked.

"Give her some time, please," Dad answered. "This was never easy for her, and it may not be easy for her for a while. She just lost her husband, her college sweetheart. Please be compassionate to her and love her when you can."

Karena got out of her chair and walked up to me. We hugged right away.

"Wilbur, I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"That hug was a good start," I answered, trying not to cry.

I broke down into tears, and Karena continued to hold me until I was calm.

I had alerted Amy and Russell right away involving my grandpa's death, and I got told by both of them to take my time grieving for him. Everyone in the family cried, losing a very important person of their lives. To my surprise, I had not shed a tear since his passing. Instead, I was smiling, realizing that Grandpa Bud really lived in this house and in our hearts.

His funeral was on Monday in Robinson Industries. I witnessed quite an array of flowers being brought in from all over the city, from citizens expressing their condolences to my family for Grandpa Bud's passing. Before his funeral, we had a wake. We greeted everyone who showed up to celebrate Grandpa Bud's life with us, and we thanked them for coming before they looked at him, who looked tranquil and peaceful. Grandma Lucille had removed his glasses before he was placed in the casket. To my amusement, he was still dressed with his clothes on backwards, but at the same time, it made sense – it's who he was. After an hour of visitation, the casket was closed, and my mom, dressed in black as all of us were, approached the podium.

"Friends and family, I want to thank you for being here to celebrate Bud Robinson's life. I welcome you, on behalf of his wife, Lucille Krunklehorn-Robinson, and their son – my husband, Cornelius Robinson. I am Franny, Bud's daughter-in-law, and I remember the very first time I met Bud. Cornelius, who was called 'Lewis' at the time, and I had quickly become friends after he won the science fair. After Lewis was officially adopted and moved into his new home, I was his first visitor. I met Bud that day, and he was the most encouraging man I had ever known. He encouraged me to bring my frogs to perform music for them. He did not think that I was crazy, much to the disbelief of my classmates. Ever since that day, Bud had always encouraged me with my homework and my tests in high school and college, and helping me down the path to become a music teacher. He became my father-in-law in 2018 when I married Cornelius, and I was encouraged to move into the home with them. Bud was always my teacher, and he was so much more than a science teacher. His teachings will always be a part of me and our family, and we are forever thankful for him being with us."

There was a pause.

"If anyone would like to come up and say some words about how Bud has made an impact, you are more than welcome to speak at the podium."

My mom sat down, and my dad was next to go to the podium.

"I will save my introduction except that I was Bud's son. As many of you know, I was raised an orphan well into my teenage years. I had started to lose hope that a couple would accept me as one of their own. As my wife mentioned, I won the science fair that fateful day in 2007, and it was at that moment that Bud and Lucille decided to adopt me. They believed that I had potential as an inventor, a passion that I was born with. Bud and Lucille, my new parents, bought an old observatory and had set aside a workstation for me to think and create. My first invention after the memory scanner was Carl, and my dad helped me build him. As Franny said before, my dad was a science teacher, but when he wasn't teaching his students, he built my dreams, and he was my first satisfied customer, every time. He was the one to ask me to invent clothes that he could put on backwards, and it worked. No one else had dared to try, but my dad? He was proud, and I am proud to be his son. He raised me, and he helped me raise my son Wilbur, and he had always prayed that Wilbur would raise his two children, his great-grandchildren, the same way he raised me, and the same way I raised Wilbur. It wasn't easy to accept my dad dying, because I am an inventor. But I made a promise long ago to not invent anything that would prolong life. Death is a natural process, and it will happen to all of us, no matter how brilliant my inventions are. One thing that always stood out to me is that there is only one being that can defeat death, and it is not an invention. It is Jesus, who gave his life for our sins, and defeated death three days later. Because of Jesus, my dad is now living his best life with him."

I watched my dad shed a few tears as he sat down, and the next to go up was Aunt Billie.

"I am Billie Robinson. I am speaking for my husband Joe and for his brother Fritz. Bud was our brother. Bud was the first of his brothers to marry, and when I met him for the first time, he encouraged me to marry Joe, because Joe always had a smile on his face. Joe is the one in the wheelchair, smiling at me because I'm here. Bud always looked out for his family and always knew what was best. Just as Bud encouraged my nephew Cornelius to invent and my niece-in-law Franny to become a music teacher, he encouraged me to make my toys that are bigger than life itself. My trains and monorails that you see all over Todayland may have been invented by me, but Bud was the inspiration behind them. Bud was so hopeful for the future, and he encouraged all of us to make better choices to flourish our future. He also taught me to let loose and just have fun. And I'm proud that I was able to do that with Bud, and our family. He will be dearly missed."

Aunt Billie sat down, and to my surprise, I felt my legs walking to the podium. I opened my mouth to speak.

"My name is Wilbur, the son of Cornelius Robinson, and the grandson of Bud Robinson, whose life we are celebrating today. Grandpa Bud has been supporting me for as long as I can remember. I was born into the family showered with love, and my first memory of him was his clothes being on backwards. I remember laughing at that, and he laughed too. Grandpa Bud was the one who officially introduced me to the protectosphere that my family has in their front yard, and I had a blast following him around and swimming with him when my bubble had burst. Grandpa Bud had let his bubble burst also just to have fun with me. He always had the most interesting facts in history that he would give me everyday, and he inspired me to love studying history. I love it so much that it is a big factor in my job at New York City today. It was a shock to me when I learned that he was going to die, but now that he has passed on, I never really cried. I was smiling instead. Grandpa Bud and I may not have been related by blood, as my dad was adopted, but I feel so much of him in me. We both love to teach, we love to swim, and we loved to watch sunsets, to name a few. I explored the house after he died and realized Grandpa Bud had put so much of his life into our house. I realized… that Grandpa Bud will never really be gone. He is in everything we touch and see and feel. And now, Grandpa Bud is part of my soul, living in me."

I paused, unsure of what to say next, as I felt tears coming to my eyes.

"I'm sorry, my thoughts are a little jumbled. But I want to say… Grandpa, thank you for being part of my life. Enjoy watching the sunsets from up there, all over the world."

I sat down and cried, and I felt my wife rubbing my back as the next family member went up to speak.

New York City, New York, USA

After Grandpa Bud's body was buried, I spent two more days with my family before I told Karena and the kids it was time to go back to Westport. While we were in Todayland, Grandma Lucille was finally encouraged to cook dinner for the family, and she was her happy-go-lucky self, as she usually was. Grandma Lucille was mentally struggling once dinner was started, but it was our top priority to shower her with love and let her know that she would never be alone. But it was Uncle Gaston who perked up her spirits when he aimed a meatball with her. Grandma Lucille was talented, and she did not waste time to throw the meatball back at Uncle Gaston with a smirk on her face. She even accompanied me and my family to the airport and hug all of us good-bye.

I walked off the train and went toward TIME headquarters to report for my first day back at work. I went to my office, where a surprise was waiting for me: a bouquet of flowers. I saw that there was a card, and I did not waste time reading it.

"Wilbur, on behalf of the forensics division at TIME, I am sorry for your loss and want to extend condolences. Your grandpa was an honorable man, and he taught you to be the man you are today. I am proud to have you on my team, and I'm proud of your grandpa too for being there for you. -Amy"

I smiled, and I looked toward my chair to find a sympathy card, signed with the names of my teammates and my boss. I took the opportunity to walk to my boss's office, and I knocked on her door. I was greeted with a smile.

"Wilbur! Welcome back!"

"Thanks, Amy. I'm glad to be back."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine. Everything was so beautiful and sad at the same time."

"How's the family handling it?" Amy asked.

"Pretty well for the most part. My grandma Lucille is struggling mentally. But she's doing okay."

"It can't be easy losing a spouse. I bet it wasn't easy leaving your family either."

"You know, it really wasn't. It was great to see everyone again, and Lucille asked me to promise her to visit before Christmas."

"Well, I'm happy to give you the time off whenever you want it," Amy replied. "If you ever need anything—"

"I know who to go to," I finished with a smirk and a wink. "Thank you, Amy. You and Russell have always been there for me and my family when we needed you."

Amy placed her hands on top of mine.

"It will always be our pleasure to look out after you, especially now for your grandpa."

Amy let out a sigh.

"I remember the day I lost my grandpa, and it was the hardest day of my life. He wasn't my first loss. I arrested my own brother for being a serial killer, and then I disowned my mother. My grandpa died shortly after Russell and I started dating. It was hard, but I pulled through, and so will you."

"I'm actually doing better than I thought. The only time I cried after Grandpa Bud passed was at his funeral. I was smiling more, because he'll always be with me."

"Amen to that! Now, don't you have reports to type up?"

I froze, trying to remember what reports I needed to do.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I forgot what they were supposed to be about."

"You and the team had gone to Oriental China."

"Ah! Right. The murder. I will get on that right now."

I walked out of her office and back to mine. I sat on the chair and opened up my computer, looking forward to turning in my reports from days before. While the computer was booting up, I reached into my satchel and grabbed a framed picture of Grandpa Bud. I smiled, and I placed it on the desk. It only took two minutes for the computer to be ready for me to use, and I got to work.