It didn't take an hour or so later to get his mother's word and drive down yet another isolated road in his grandfather's truck. Rylan in the passenger seat, watching the sun set in the side view mirror and still trying to get used to his almost alien surroundings.

Regardless of the fact he's been here for months now, he still couldn't get used to his new surroundings. It was just too foriegn to him compared to his cozy little off base suburb back in Nebraska. A thought that distracted him just long enough for him to barely notice his grandfather pulling over.

"Rylan...time to go."

Rylan jumped, before he saw Ethan and sighed in relief, shouldering his old duffle bag as he got out of the car. The boy followed his grandfather out of his truck into an almost broken down shell of concrete and wood that was Ethan's home.

Barely a thing decorated the wooden porch with its severely mismatched planking as he glanced up at the door. The interior was more welcoming, or at least as welcoming as his grandfather tried to make it.

The room was mostly dark. Though with the exception of a soft glint that came from a small metal fireplace tucked away in the corner. The soft light of the fireplace set on some old couches and shelves that looked like Ethan had put them up himself.

Shelves upon shelves filled with tiny whittled figurines and books among various other momentos. But the most intriguing part of his grandfather's home Rylan always found was the photographs.

The lines of photographs strung around on the walls. Which some for an unknown reason have been flipped over to show nothing but the frame's back. Rylan has always questioned it, but never got answers to why.

Most probably never will. But either way, the things his grandfather didn't want to be seen, still intrigued him. Ethan sighed and opened the curtains, making his way to an armchair and sitting down with another soft huff. His head rested against one hand as he stared at one of the flipped frames.

A moment that reminded Rylan almost uncannily of his own mother. Almost as if someone had decided to hold a mirror between father and daughter.

He looked at him softly and sat in the armchair next to him, folding his arms on the arm of the chair and staring back at him.

"Grandpa? Are you...okay?"

Ethan sighed and gazed back at him, to which he gave a slight but somewhat sincere smile.

"Yes son, I'm okay...it's nothing just..."

He looked down slightly as his voice drifted away to leave the room in silence.

"Mom?..."

"Yes...Your Mother..."

Rylan sighed and nodded silently in understanding,tapping his fingers against his chair's arm. He gazed up at Ethan, before looking down at the coffee table between them. His murky brown eyes drifting to where an old wooden frame lied face down on the table top.

Curious, he picked it up, turning it over to look at the photograph. Only to see a photo of a young man no older than his late 20's standing next to who Rylan assumed was his wife. The man looked unfamiliar at first, until he slowly started to recognise his face.

His face was a strange mixture of the young and old for his years, with dark circles under his eyes tainting otherwise smooth skin and a beaked nose that gave him the appearance akin to that of a hawk's. His eyes were such a dark brown that it looked more like black than the colour of broken glass.

A small but slightly crooked smile on the man's face as he held the woman's shoulders. Besides the ink black hair strewn over his shoulders and his thinner frame, Rylan knew exactly who he was. He's seen that face multiple times.

The man was the same man sitting right next to him only caught in a snap back in time. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't recognise the woman sitting next to him, other than his mother's dark wavy hair and doe-like eyes. Though upon closer inspection, he could see it was less of a black and more of an ebony brown.

He didn't have time to scan the photo any further. Largely because the moment Ethan saw, his grandfather gently took the photo from his hand and softly smacked it face down on the table.

"Sorry, you weren't supposed to see that."

He retorted sharply as Rylan looked at him confused.

"But...why? It's...just a couple's photograph."

Rylan blubbered out slightly in confusion to which Ethan sighed and rested his head against the chair. His hand still on the frame.

"NOT just any couple's photo Rylan."

"Especially not that one..."

Ethan seethed softly though less in anger and more out of a silent defense. He looked away with a slightly distant look in his eye, slowly taking his hand off the photo. The two sat in further silence as Rylan slowly processed the entire situation.

"She's....Grandma...Right?"

Rylan asked gently yet silently. Ethan sat there for a while before Rylan turned to him with a soft look of a sad understanding in his eyes. Ethan didn't respond for a short while, his face frozen in a brief but silent form of grief.

"...Yes....Yes she is..."

Ethan muttered and sighed softly as he looked down with a furrow in his brow. The old man resting his elbow on his knee as he covered his mouth. The elder seemingly taking his mind off his grandson as he seemed to resort back into his thoughts. To which Rylan turned to him and readjusted himself, crossing his legs on his chair.

"Do you...want to talk about her?..."

The boy asked with concerned eyes as his grandfather snapped out of his thoughts.

"It helps to talk...I talk about Dad all time,especially whenever I miss him and...wish he was still around. Sure it's painful at times, but...it still helps."

Rylan quietly comforted him but Ethan simply gave a slight glare and adjusted his hand to speak.

"No. Not now...I'm just not ready yet...."

The old man muttered calmly, trying to muster up a composure to hide the sadness in his voice.

"...I'll handle it when I'm ready Rylan..."

Rylan tilted his head but nodded in understanding. His murky brown eyes still weary with concern. Eventually getting up with his duffle bag to leave him alone for a moment. He looked back at him as he went off to the bathroom to change. Only to catch a glimpse of him picking up the photo once again.

Ethan's thumb gently fingering across what Rylan presumed was the lady's face. But as his grandfather caught his glance, he quickly looked away. The sound of a photo frame gently being smacked face down ringing through the house as he clicked on the bathroom light and shut the door.