Page 76 of See You at the Sunset

Henry let out a deep breath. He read between the lines. The message was as much for him and his own life as it was for Dennis’s.

“That’s a great lesson, Granddad,” he said, nodding and taking it in.

Henry thought he saw movement down by his bedroom door and leaned to take a look, in case it was his parents or... Jia.

“Guess they decided not to come after all,” Dennis said. “Not sure I expected them to. But I was hoping it was enough to not make you get on the first flight out here to try to save the day. Seeing as you got here in less than twenty-four hours, my guess is you didn’t have too much faith in them either.”

Henry lifted a shoulder. “Truth is I wasn’t sure what would be worse—them coming... or not.”

“Well, one thing I know for sure, you and I are lucky we’ve got each other.”

But what if, one day, they didn’t? What would happen if Henry no longer had Dennis, the one person in his life he could count on?

Henry had trouble getting air into his lungs. He doubled over and grabbed his chest. The pain was sudden and excruciating. He reached for his bag.

“What do you need, Hank? Let me grab it. Here, come sit down.” Dennis got up and pushed Henry into his chair. “Someone grab that bag by the door for me.”

“Front pocket,” Henry tried to say through the pain.

“Is it a heart attack? Do I call 911?” Dennis asked.

Henry shook his head. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on calming down, on taking deep breaths. Dennis put two pills into his hand and passed him a glass of water.

“Here you go, son. When you catch your breath, tell me what you need, what I need to do. Let me take care of you this one time, will ya?”

Henry looked up into his grandfather’s kind, wrinkled face. “Panic attack,” he said. It was time to be honest with him.

“I know. I remember you getting those as a kid. Saw the remnants of the one you had a few weeks ago too. I guess I was just hoping you weren’t experiencing them as often,” he said.

“If I remember the meds, I’m usually okay. Probably just need to get back into a routine and some structure, so I take them regularly.”

“Oh, I know how that is. I have a great medicine dispenser and a calendar and an alarm I can recommend to you, if you want.”

Henry looked up at his grandfather, who had a twinkle in his eye. “Funny.”

“Well, I am sorry, though, I’ve added to the stress, kid. Guess I’m not helping any of that, huh?” Dennis said, a frown taking over his entire face.

Henry grabbed his good hand and held it. “You’re the only thing that makes any of it worth it.”

“Well, maybe me and that pretty girl across the street too?” Dennis winked at Henry.

He wondered if she was back in town yet. And if she was, what would he say when he saw her? Like he hadn’t been practicing it all in his head the whole time since he’d watched her walk away yesterday.

“Son, listen to your grandpa when I say you don’t have to prove to anyone, not your parents, not your job, not anyone, that you’re incredible and worthy. The only person you have to prove it to is yourself. And that’s by making choices that allow you to be happy. Be happy, Henry. It’s the only thing I want for you.”

“I don’t know how to be happy, Granddad,” Henry admitted.

“Well, you can start by cutting out anything in life that makes you unhappy. Get rid of everything that gets in the way. And go from there.”

“Henry, honey, I brought you some tea to calm your nerves,” Betty said, handing him the cup. “I’ve had panic attacks my whole life, so I know how it feels. This helps.”

Henry smiled and thanked her as he took a sip.

“Everyone, everyone, let’s get out of here and let Dennis get some rest,” Gordon said.

“Henry’s had a long flight too,” Gladys added. “We’ll pack all the food up into containers and put them in the fridge for you guys to eat later. You two watch a game or movie or something and have a quiet night.”

Henry suddenly felt overcome with emotion. There was a pain in his chest. But not like the one he’d just gone through with his panic attack. No, this one felt like a stretching in his heart. It hurt, but in a way that felt freeing, good. In a way that felt loved.