stayed awake beside me all night.â
Grandpa looked toward the telescope.
âAnd tomorrow morning I have to go into that hospital without her for the first time.â
Suddenly everything made sense.
âI didnât want you in my bed,â he said with a small laugh. âI prepared that bed for you.â
He pointed toward the smaller one across the room.
âI just didnât want to spend the last night before surgery alone.â

Dad looked away.
His eyes were red.
âWhy didnât you ask me?â
Grandpa smiled at him.
âBecause you would spend the entire night checking my blood pressure and telling me to sleep.â
Despite everything, Dad laughed.
Then Grandpa turned to me.
âAnd because tonight thereâs supposed to be a meteor shower.â
I looked at the telescope.
âYou remembered?â
When I was a little girl, Grandpa had promised that someday we would stay awake all night and watch shooting stars