“My 76-Year-Old Grandpa Took Me Into the Woods Every Day and Made Me Undress Until I Was Half-Naked. But One Day, My Mother Secretly Followed Us and Heard Strange Screams Coming From Deep Inside the Forest. When She Got Closer and Saw What We Were Actually Doing, Her Heart Couldn’t Take It. She Fell to Her Knees and Burst Into Tears…”

I glanced at the wooden bench.

“Was it always here?”

Mary smiled.

“Almost. Your mother and I used to sit there and talk about our futures. We were convinced we would grow old together.”

She looked at my mother.

“Looks like we still have time to make that happen.”

My mother began crying again, but this time she was smiling.

Grandpa explained how he had encountered Mary three months earlier when she returned to the area for a family visit.

They recognized each other after a moment of uncertainty.

Mary told him that she had been hoping to visit the forest again, but the old path had deteriorated, and the uneven ground made access difficult for her wheelchair.

During their conversation, Grandpa learned that she had not seen Sarah in decades.

He asked whether she would like to see her old friend again.

Mary had hesitated.

“What if she doesn’t want to see me?”