Chapter Thirty-Three: Goodbye, Old Friend

Ned's memory is starting to slip away more and more, leaving the family saddened by the loss of the Ned they knew and frustrated when dealing with the mood swings and childlike tantrums.

"Isa sweetie, I would stay in your room right now. Grampa Ned's in a bit of a mood tonight." Nathalie whispers quietly to the sleepy child, trying to keep the peace in the fragile household. Isadora nods reluctantly. She may have a fiery temper, but it doesn't mean she won't escape to the safety of her room when Grampa is cranky. Besides, it's not like there's any cool toys in the kitchen for her to play with.

"I'm hungry!" Ned yells out childishly. Roxanne takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"It's coming Ned, I'm doing the best I can here." She says, shoulders tensing for the upcoming fight.
"But I'm hungry now!" Ned starts to cry, completely confused as to why he can't eat right now. Roxanne sighs, wondering how much longer he'll have to suffer like this for.

After a few more minutes of trying to cook and deal with the elder's growing temper tantrum, Roxann finally finishes making the meal. She lets out a frustrated sigh as she hands the sniffling old man a plate of autumn salad, trying to keep a soft smile on her face as to not upset him further. Roxanne knows that Ned can't help his outbursts, but she still compares him to a stinky baby llama in the depths of her mind.

Feeling calmer now that he has food in front of him, Ned declares that this is "the best meal ever!" The family smile softly to each other, thankful that they lasted through another mood swing together.

After breakfast, Nathalie goes to cheer Ned up, but she finds a shocking sight. "Oh no..." She whispers as she sees the glittering glimpse of her dying husband.

Ned feels freer, less bound to the lost memories that have been haunting him.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" Ned asks the cloaked figure lurking in the corner of the room. It silently nods.

He looks at his family. The younger one is sobbing wildly, and flashes of a unruly toddler come to mind. The older one turns away from him, but a part of him knows that it is to protect him, to prevent him from seeing the tears running down her face. Love flows through his ghostly veins. Even though he may not know the specifics of who these people are, they are his family.

Ned turns back to Death, knowing that even if he wished to live, he didn't want to. He will always be loved, and he can watch and protect his family in this form. He gives Death his hand with a smile, sorry that he had to leave, but knowing it was his time. They float upwards, towards the skies where the living will never reside.

Tears run down Irish's face as she sees a familiar ghostly presence floating above the house. Her heart sinks as she recognizes the identity of the ghost.
"Isa, Gapa's dead!" She cries out, reverting to the childish nickname in fear. They retreat inside the treehouse, crying for the loss of their beloved grandfather. Despite his dementia, the children know that he loved them deeply.

Roxanne believes that Ned would appreciate his grave being so close to the garden. She whispers softly her regrets, hoping that he knows that she loved him like a father. She just didn't know how to deal with such mental illness, didn't know how to deal with the loss of the man she met while gardening together. She only hopes he is in peace now, and remembers them fully in death.