Forever outliving your loved ones

The worst part about outliving

It has been a long time since Abe passed away.Why it has been a long time since his passing.I had thought the day would never come where I physically remain the same age yet Jo had aged to an old woman. A very old one in fact. Abe had introduced me, years before his passing, to one of his young friends. The very one who snatched an old modeled candle holder from one of Abe's competitors and gave it to Abe.

"Jake, are you sure about the cats?" I ask, in the car.

Jake has a bald head.

"The cats have been fed, Henry." Jake said. He's sixty, why, lets say he needs to stay because his kids had kicked him out. "Open the door, take your foot out, and then go up the stairs, next knock.You're not going to be hit by a Piano this time."

"I never got hit by a piano." I said, surprised by Jake's mentioning.

"I was ten years old when I saw you die." Jake said. "And Abe  went into the car carrying some clothes out of the antique shop. Someone was lifting up a old piano using old metal."

"I remember now." I said.

"Out, Henry." Jake said. "She doesn't have forever."

I unbuckle the seat belt then open the car door and  get out. I close the door behind me hearing Jake say 'Good luck!'. Jake drove off into the street leaving me to the pristine clean New York street that had been declared as a historical site a decade ago. I head up the stairs only to stop the second when seeing the door open.A fifty year old woman and a twenty-five year old man walked out; these two are relatives to Jo. The fifty year old woman is Robin Cycle and the man is her son Jacob Cycle. I took a step to the side letting them pass.Jacob came to stop near me.Jacob has a striking resemblance to his grandmother, Jo, except more of a man. And I could see a little bit of myself in him too.

"Hey, haven't I see you before?" Jacob asks, as Robin came down shaking.

"Yes." I lied. "You were a eleven year old when we first met."

"Well, I wouldn't just remember you if I  met you as a eleven year old." Jacob said. "Were you at my grandmother's 80th birthday party? I gotta say; that's the real mile-marker I really remember to see so many young and old people."

"Yes." I lied.

When really; I wasn't there.I am a medical examiner,still, in New York. Why i've moved to a couple places in the past years; wait, I actually visited a lot of places one hundred years ago. The reason why he recognizes me is because he is recognizing himself. He is not the exact splinting image of me but I do know physical features belonging to a grandparent can come up in the second generation. There is some definite similarities.

"Good to see some-one grandma knows." Jacob said.

"Jacob!" Robin shouts from the newly modeled car. "We have to go." She blew into a tissue. "Before the flight leaves!"

"Coming, ma!" Jacob shouts,then he turns towards me. "Visiting her?"

"Yes." I said.

"She's on her last leg." Jacob said. "She's getting hospital care.Today's her last."

Jacob went into the car, then started it up, and drove off.

After all the years I've known Martinez; she kept her word about not telling my secret. I went up the stairs then stopped in front of the door. These days, for visiting a dying person in their house, you need a card to enter.I take out a 'dying card' then put it on the panel. There's a little beep out of the machine shortly after a bright blue light had briefly appeared and went away.

The door opened on its own.

I entered putting the card away.

"Welcome to the Martinez house, Doctor Morgan." Went the house, quite literately.