Do what you have to do to be happy.

Goddammit, Grandpa.

I was not going to cry. I was not going to cry. I was not going to cry.

Slipping my hand through Jonah’s arm, clutching Marcus’s hand close, I led them all toward Peter, and the next thing I knew, I had my cheek against his. Marcus was on one side of me, arm over his Grandpa Peter’s shoulder, and I had Jonah on my other side again, holding me close to his body with one arm, and the other around his mini-me, Mo. And Mo had her arm around Grandpa Peter too. From the weight on my back and on my arms, I knew we had been surrounded as well by another layer of love.

Grandpa Gus was there too.

I could feel him in my heart, and I knew he was in everyone’s then like he always would be. Where he belonged. Exactly where I knew he’d want to be.

With his family. With the people who loved him the most. The group of us who loved each other the most. My past, my present, and my future. The best things to ever happen to me.

And there was only one person in the world I could thank for it all.

For the life I had that even on the worst, most frustrating day, I could smile.

I love you so much, old man. Every good thing in my life has been because of you.

Thank you for being the best grandpa/grandma/uncle/brother/best friend/soul mate/enemy I could ever ask for, I threw out to him, knowing he was always listening, because some things never changed.

No vampire has ever been loved as much as you, Grandpa Gus. Tell my dad I said hi.