"Oh, right." Tina pulled out her cell phone to show off the little pajamas and onesies she'd bought. "I got these, actually, from the museum's gift shop." She showed her the pictures. "See these, with the little rockets on them? And these with the stars? I thought they were so cute."
"What did you get?" her grandfather called, his voice shifting.
"Pajamas, with little stars on them."
His gaze darted to her.
His face turned very somber, and he leaped out of his chair. He crossed to the long window that looked out on the beach, but he didn't look like he saw any of it.
Tina's eyes went wide. "What did I do?"
Her grandmother shook her head. "I don't know," she replied.
Her grandfather stood there for a few moments.
And slammed his fist into the glass.
The panel cracked.
"Rupert!" Grandmother called out.
It took a few more beats before he turned back around.
Blood ran down his hand.
"Rupert! You broke the windowpane!" Grandmother crossed to him.
Tina sprinted over, beating her grandmother. "Grandpa, your hand."
He glanced down and saw the blood.
It took him another second before reality snapped back into him.
He shook his head. "I--"
Tina glanced at her grandmother.
"I know, sweetheart. Let's clean you up," Grandmother said as she patted her husband's other arm.
In a few minutes, they had bandaged the wound and assessed the window damage. It wasn't horrible, but they would have to get it replaced.
Tina helped her grandmother tape it up.
Her grandfather went back to the bedroom, and they were left alone.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't think pajamas--"
"He's trying, but I know the PTSD is getting worse. He won't go talk to a doctor or even a therapist. Even in this small town, you'd be shocked at what he's seen over the years when he worked."
"I don't want to know."
"You're probably better not knowing."
Tina nodded. "I still feel bad."
"Don't. I can't imagine what he saw in his mind. The brain can do horrible things to you. Terrible things, honestly. And we don't know how to fix it."
"I wish we did," Tina said. "I'd push him and every other retired police detective to the front of the line."
