His grandpa weakly grasped his hand. “It’s okay, Graham. It’s all a part of life. No one gets to stay here forever.” A deep sadness resonated in his voice and etched his weathered face.
Graham hung his head. “I’m sorry, Grandpa.”
“Sorry for what?”
Graham sniffed and wiped his eyes. “For not spending more time with you. For… making you sad because I didn’t want to be… gay.” He looked up, tears streaming down his face. “I was never ashamed of you, Grandpa. I promise, I wasn’t. I just… I couldn’t be gay, too… I was too afraid.” He swallowed hard. “Are you ashamed of me?”
“Ashamed...?” The old man’s eyes welled up with emotion. “Never, Graham. I've never been ashamed of you. Only you have the right to choose your path. Just don’t let others intimidate you into hiding who you truly are. I spent my entire life insecrecy, but not due to others’ opinions—there were personal reasons behind it.”
“Did Grandma Em know you were…?”
“Yes. She’s the only one who knew.”
“Why did you marry her if you were gay?”
His grandpa smiled. “That’s a story I can’t tell. But know, I did love her… as much as a man can love a woman without beingin lovewith her.”
Graham rubbed his nose, eyes glistening. “Should I marry a woman, too?” he whispered. “I’ve gone on dates with girls. Even had a girlfriend. I keep trying to feel… normal… but I just… don’t.”
“It’s becausethatisn’t normal foryou,”his grandpa said softly, squeezing his hand. “There is noonenormal. Every person is different, and each of us…” A wistful look crept into his eyes. “… loves differently. Not everyone is going to understand you… or your heart. And that’s okay, as long asyouunderstand you.”
Quietly clearing his throat, Graham asked, “Were you ever in love, Grandpa?”
The old man smiled warmly, a hint of sadness shining in his eyes. “Yes. He was veryspecial.”
“What happened with him?”
“We spent many, many years together… secretly.” His face shone with deep love. “And though we couldn’t live a traditional life together, our connection was deeper and stronger than anything I had ever imagined love could be.”
Graham held the old man’s hand, his heart breaking. Although he hadn’t spent much time with his grandpa over the past few years, he still felt like his grandpa was the only one who truly understood him. “I don’t want you to go,” he whispered with a tremor. “I still need you.”
“You’re going to be fine, Graham,” his grandpa murmured. “And I’ll always be with you.”
Graham bit his lower lip, his chin trembling. “What if… What if I never find someone special to love?”
“You will,” the old man whispered, gently squeezing his hand. “Becauseyou’respecial.”
“I don’t feel special.” Graham closed his eyes as tears slid down his face.
“You are, my boy,” his grandpa said softly. “And because you are…” He held Graham’s hand a little tighter. “I want you to look after my lake for me. Take care of it… protect it.”
Graham looked at him, vision swimming. “You want me to…” The cabin and lake were almost sacred to his grandfather.
“Yes,” his grandpa said with deep emotion. “You’re the only one I trust to care for it… as I cared for it.” He smiled through his tears. “It’s yours now. Love it… and it will love you back.”
Graham wasn’t sure what he meant, but somewhere deep inside, in a hidden part of himself, he understood what his grandfather was telling him.
That night, his grandpa passed away.
His final wish? That his ashes be spread across the waters of his beloved lake, his final resting place.
Two years passed before his wish was fulfilled.
2
The quiet calm of the lakecracked like a forgotten promise when the distant rumble arrived, sending ripples of anticipation through the still afternoon air. The sound—achingly familiar—penetrated the depths, wrapping the dormant life form in an embrace like that of a long-lost lover. Beneath the silty bottom, a desperate loneliness dissolved as consciousness flooded back. Its limbs trembled with the bittersweet joy of recognition, a homecoming after endless solitude. Fleshy tentacles unfurled like fingers reaching for a lover’s touch, tendrils undulating with longing as they disturbed the muddy lakebed, memories clouding the water amid the spreading murk.
Above the surface, the rumble grew into a gentle growl that soothed rather than assaulted the creature's sensitive nerve endings. It was the sound of... coming home, of belonging after an eternity of waiting.
