Darryl was turning sixty today. He wakes up this morning happy to still be alive, but the thought of being another year older puts him in a bad mood of sorts. He is surprised to see that his wife is no longer in the bed and he chalks it up to her doing something special for his birthday.
He crawls out of the bed, his joints popping as he does so. Getting old was no fun, especially as the things you used to do, you don't anymore or can't. He heads for the bathroom, pisses and starts that shower. By the time he is ready to get in the water it is nice and hot. His shower doesn't take long and even though he hasn't been in the military for over twenty years, old habits never die.
He swipes his hand across the mirror and picks up his razor. He grins at the stubble covering his face. He actually let it grow out a little, daring to bring his morning routine, but now it is just getting to him. A few minutes later, he has a smooth face, well as smooth as a sixty year old's face could get. He sets down the razor, dries off, dresses and exits the bathroom.
He heads downstairs and makes his way into the kitchen. As he figures, Catherine, his wife, is busy making the most extravagant breakfast. What does surprise him is his twenty year old granddaughter, Jane, is sitting at the table.
"Happy Birthday Grandpa," Jane says, smiling big.
Darryl smiles back, his day just got a notch better. His grandchildren always brought a smile to his face. "I didn't expect you here this morning," he says taking a seat across from her.
Catherine brings over three plates and sets them on the table. "Jane is here today because she wants to spend the day with you," she says with a wink. "She even has a special birthday gift for you. And just so you know she has already cleared it with me."
"Conspiring against me eh?" he says grinning.
Catherine can't help but to smile as she says, "Now why would we do that?"
Jane giggles, picking up a fork and stabbing her scrambled eggs.
"Oh and Happy Birthday, dear," his wife says, pecking him on the cheek.
The three eat breakfast and Darryl heads for the den to read the morning paper while Jane helps Catherine with dishes. The morning passes fairly quickly and Darryl begins to wonder when Jane planned to spend the day with him, when she walks in with a bag pack.
"Are you ready Grandpa?" she asks standing in the middle of the den.
He looks up and smiles, "Whenever you are."
The two depart out the back door and into the woods behind his house. Jane leads the way insisting she has the perfect spot for a picnic. They walk slowly, occasionally talking about her school and other really unimportant things. Darryl is fully interested, but Jane just rambled off, not really showing interest in her own life. The weather is pleasant and perfect for a birthday.
"This way," Jane says at one point, leading her grandfather off the path through a thick area of brush.
After pushing through a few leafless bushes, they emerge into a clearing. Jane takes out a blanket of the bag pack and spreads it out. She motions for Darryl to sit with her. The two lay next to each other, looking up at the trees standing tall around them. The majestic views of nature fill their views.
