116 Chapter five, 2016, extended stay: 4 (2/2)

”Tina? This isn't your room.”

'Damn! Is he going to be angry?' Fifty, it didn't matter that she was fifty. This was her grandfather, and for him she was only a small child. Would probably always remain one.

”I just popped in to wake them up,” she lied.

He looked at her with a frown in her face. Disappointment replaced the frown and all of a sudden she received a stinging slap that brought tears to her face.

”I already approved of him,” he said. ”If you sleep with him or not is your business, but don't lie to me.”

Christina wiped away the tears and looked down. Now she remembered how he had always hated lies, hated them with a passion. She felt ashamed and elated at the same time. Ulf had passed. As far as her grandfather was concerned Ulf was good.

”I'm sorry. I love him so much and I was afraid.”

”That I wouldn't approve?” She could hear a silent laughter bubble in his voice. ”Tina, you moron. You're fifty. It's your life,” and his voice turned serious again, ”but your lies hurt me. Especially if you feel you must lie to me.”

”I'm sorry.” 'No one else can make me feel this small.' ”I won't, again.”

”Good. Now go get changed and help me prepare breakfast.”

She looked up and on a sudden impulse she hugged him. ”Grandpa!” He was from another world in more than one sense. One where loving your children meant giving them a good slap when you felt it was deserved. She would never accept that, but he was still her grandfather. ”Yeah.” She ran off to her room. Memories from a life long gone rose in her. From when she had been a child messing around in a kitchen together with her grandfather. She had loved those times.

A little more frantically than she wanted to admit Christina got into some clothes better suited for kitchen work, left her room and ran down the stairs. A question by the lobby later she was let into the restaurant kitchen and went in search for her grandfather.