The fireplace.
“I’ll see you later, Jeff.”
“No, Grandfather. Don’t go.”
“You know I have to.”
“But it’s dark outside. And cold. And icy. What if you trip?”
“I’ll be fine, Jeff.”
“What if you fall on your back? You know your back is weak, Grandfather.”
“I’ll be back before you know it.”
“What if you’re rescued by a beautiful writer? And what if you fall in love with her, her long auburn hair, her hazel eyes, her warmth and her smiles? And what if you find true love among the family you create in Tennessee, deep within a forest, secluded from civilization? Where amid the intimacy of soulmates you spend the rest of your life, touching each other’s fingers by the fire in the fireplace you so carefully construct each morning, your footsteps lingering in the snow, your humanity forever entwined between your nation of two?”
“I—I’ve never thought about it.”
“Damn right you haven’t, old man.”