Chapter 267: Hannah

"Hey, Daddy," Hannah said softly, stroking his liver-spotted hand. She used to love his hands – so big and strong, they could take on the world. Now they were gnarled and bony and thin, with dark spots telling the world his age, if they didn't catch it from his face or stooped shoulders.

He peered up at her for just a moment, and she could tell that he was trying to figure out who she was, and then his attention was caught by the children's puzzle in front of him and he looked back down at the table. "They sure make these things hard these days," he announced to the room as he tried to slot a piece into place and failed. "Why, when I was a kid, they were a whole lot easier to put together."

He'd put this one together dozens of times, each time slower than the last, but Hannah didn't tell him that. At least he wasn't giving up on it like he'd given up on door locks.

"Who did you say you are?" he demanded as he pushed on another piece, trying to force it into place.