Only Grandpa Takes Care of Sick Grandson during His Parents’ Divorce until Kid Appears in Court – Story of the Day

While Dennis' parents were stuck up in their bitter divorce, his grandpa was the only one taking care of him through bouts of illness. Months later, it was Dennis' turn to pick a side in court.

Dennis was sure his parents had forgotten about him. "How come they haven't called, grandpa? It's been a whole week…" He hid his face in the blanket and cried.

"There, there. Don't you cry, my boy. We don't want to rake up the fever again, do we?" Old Peter was trying to console his 12-year-old grandson.

"Of course, they love you, Dennis. They're going through a hectic week, that's all. Now c'mon, be a good boy and finish the rest of your soup. Give that flu a run for its money, eh?" Peter smiled and made Dennis smile, too.

There was a pain in Peter's grin because he was yet to figure out a way to tell the boy that his parents were in the process of finalizing their divorce.

That evening, Peter decided to try and gently break the news to Dennis again."As you know, kiddo, your mom and dad have recently decided to separate—"

"Oh, that's just temporary, grandpa. I think mom and dad are cute together! They've been fighting a lot lately, but I'm sure they will work it out. Nothing a nice vacation can't fix!" the boy said, innocently thwarting Peter's efforts again.

The truth was that Peter's daughter Sylvia and her husband Gary had been unhappy in their marriage for over a year, and it didn't help that their only son had started mysteriously falling ill frequently that year.

"They are too angry. I don't want to be with someone who is angry."

Between sleepless nights, overworking, and hospital visits, Sylvia and Gary had fallen out of love until they couldn't stand each other.

They had been living separately for almost a year now, and poor Dennis was left with the faint hope that his parents were going to sort things out and move in together again soon.

Then one night, Sylvia had dropped Dennis off at her father's house. "Dad," she told Peter, "I'm sorry, but I'm leaving Dennis with you for a while. I've filed for divorce, and Gary and I are working out the details of our property, custody, and so on. I'll be back to get him as soon as it's over. It won't take more than a week, I promise!"

It had been two months.

While Sylvia and Gary were fighting over who should get to keep the child, they had eventually forgotten to check on him…

Peter, who was a hardened farm owner who lived frugally, had now become the only caretaker for his ailing grandson. Peter had turned his life upside down, re-arranged his house, and reorganized his day around the care of his only grandchild.

He would be out only for two hours every afternoon, selling produce at the local market. For the rest of the day, he would be by Dennis's side, checking on his fever, making him hot meals, telling him amusing stories about the good old days, and teaching him to be mentally strong no matter where he was in life.

"Grandpa, you can come to stay with us once all of this is over!" Dennis would say, hugging Peter.

The boy would dream of their new lives together until, one day, he was sitting in court, watching his world fall apart.

Dennis sat still as he watched his parents being brutally cold to each other, calling each other unworthy and irresponsible in harsh words. He almost didn't recognize them as the same parents who were always holding each other's hands, always dreaming, and looking at each other with love and warmth.

Dennis's heart broke with every bitter exchange of glances between Sylvia and Gary as their lawyers fought over meaningless things like the house, the car, and the money.

He was starting to feel sick again, and he tugged the coat of his grandfather, who was sitting right next to him. "I can't do this, grandpa!" Dennis was on the brink of tears.

"Don't you worry, child. Remember, when they call upon you, be honest. And follow your heart. Alright, my brave boy? Grandpa's right here. We're going to get that fever fixed up right after we get home, okay?"

When the judge asked Dennis to speak, the entire courtroom was at the edge of their seats. The boy looked blankly at his father and mother, about to tell the court who he wanted to live with.

"I want to live with someone who loves me, who cares for me, even in the worst time of my life. I want to live with…" the boy paused, closing his eyes and listening to his heart. "...grandpa!" Dennis pointed at Peter, who was visibly shocked.

"Son, no, you need to choose between—"

"No, Mister Lawyer, sir. I want to live with my grandfather because he was the only person who took care of me when I fell sick. My parents were so busy fighting that they forgot to call or visit me for months. I don't want to be with mom or dad. They are too angry. I don't want to be with someone who is angry. I love them, but I think my grandfather loves me more," Dennis said, bursting into tears.

Sylvia and Gary stared at the floor, feeling the blinds of their hatred and greed finally come off. They wanted to take back every mean word they said that day, but it was too late.

The court appointed Peter as Dennis' guardian, and the boy's parents watched as he walked away from them without waving goodbye.

Luckily, the court still allowed the parents to see their child without any time restrictions. The day after court, the estranged parents drove up to Peter and Dennis and wouldn't let go of his little hands.

"Mama's so sorry, baby! I got so stuck in all this that I forgot what really mattered. And that is you, Dennis!"

"Daddy's sorry, too, Dennis! I wasted a lot of time thinking I was fighting for you. But now I see that it only hurt you more. All I want is for you to be happy, son!" Gary let his guard down before his son for the first time.

"Actually, Dennis," Peter interrupted, putting an arm around Dennis' shoulder. "Your parents have come to you with an idea. I think you should consider it!"

After hearing what Sylvia and Gary had in mind, Dennis hesitated for a moment, even though his heart was screaming with joy.

"Go on, Dennis, enjoy a lovely vacation with your parents. You've earned it!"

For the next two months, the family of three traveled across the country and rediscovered the joy of being a family.

Sylvia and Gary had started to remember what they loved about each other. And strangely, Dennis didn't fall ill even once throughout the trip.

When they came back from the holiday, they visited Peter, who was back to keeping busy with farm work.

"I–I don't want to leave you, grandpa…" Dennis hugged him and refused to let go.

"There, there. Don't you see, child? Your dream has come true…your mother and father have decided to live together once again. You believed it when nobody else did! As for me…I will be waiting to see you here every other weekend. There are so many more stories I've got to tell you…"

What can we learn from this story?

• Divorce is hardest on the young ones in the family. Sylvia and Gary didn't realize this until later, but their spat had a harrowing effect on Dennis' innocent mind.
• Don't forget the hearts that cared for you. We all have a version of Peter in our lives, who stepped up to care for us through a dark phase of our lives.

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