Granddaughter Reads Old Diary to Her Grandmother with Alzheimer's, Learns a Secret She Should Never Have Known – Story of the Day

In a quiet, sunny room, Kate sat with her grandma, Rose, who had Alzheimer's and couldn't remember her.

"Grandma, it's Kate," she said again, but Rose didn't recognize her.

"Who are you?" Rose asked softly.

"I'm your granddaughter," Kate replied, feeling sad.

Kate started sorting through the woman's old things, talking to her as if she was telling secrets to a friend.

"Life's been tough, Grandma. Colin and I argue a lot. He's seeing someone else. I feel so alone," Kate shared. She found an old photo with Michael, her first love. Must've gotten there when she was shifting Rose's things.

"I chose Colin because he agreed to pay for my sister's health. I miss Michael," Kate admitted.

Suddenly, Rose mentioned a man named Josh, surprising Kate.

"Grandma, who is Josh?" Kate asked, but Rose didn't reply.

Later, Kate found an old diary mentioning Josh. It belonged to a teenage Rose, and Kate couldn't help but read it. Somewhere along the way, she started reading it to Rose to jog the woman's memory.

I was helping Tom, a single dad, and his son Jamie," Rose had written on the first page.

I felt close to them, especially after Tom helped my family when my brother got into trouble. One day, we were strolling along the promenade, Jamie ahead of us. I noticed a young man by the water, lost in thought. He was handsome, and I couldn't help but stare. Embarrassed, I turned back to Tom and Jamie, thanking Tom for helping my brother, Peter.

As we were lost in our conversation, Jamie came running towards me and bumped into me, sending my purse into the water. The young man, the one I'd noticed earlier, didn't hesitate. He dove in and retrieved my purse. "Here you go, ma'am," he said, handing me my wet purse.

"Thank you so much. I'm Rose," I replied, still surprised.

"Josh," he introduced himself, then jokingly asked if he could take me on a date as a thank you.

I laughed, "I'd love to."

We agreed to meet later at the same spot. As Josh left, Jamie was thrilled about the dive.

"Did you see that, Rose? He jumped right off!" Jamie exclaimed.

Tom and I just smiled, caught up in the unexpected adventure of the afternoon.

From the day I met Josh by the sea, life felt like a new chapter filled with joy. He was a soldier on leave, and just like me, he was drawn to the sea's peace. We clicked instantly, and the promenade became our special place...

...He's leaving tomorrow for service. The moment I'd been dreading all this while.

"What time?" I asked him.

"At 4 a.m., but you shouldn't wake up," he said, trying to spare me the pain.

"I want to see you off," I insisted, needing that last moment.

"We'll spend this evening together; it's not a forever goodbye," Josh comforted me, his hug saying more than words could.

"I'll write you letters," I promised, clinging to the hope of staying connected.

"And I'll reply to everyone," Josh vowed.

When it was time to say goodbye, it felt like the hardest thing. I cried all the way home, where Tom was waiting with a bouquet.

"I love you, Rose. I want to be with you," Tom confessed, offering the flowers.

But my heart was still with Josh. "I'm sorry, Tom, but I can't," I had to tell him, my voice barely a whisper.

When Josh left, I felt lost. Then, I found out I was pregnant and wrote to Josh, but he never replied. It hurt thinking he'd left me alone all because I was pregnant.

One day, Tom saw me crying on the porch. "Rose, what's wrong?" he asked, worried.

I told him everything — about the baby and Josh's silence. Tom listened, then hugged me.

"Marry me," he said gently.

"What?"

"Marry me. I'll raise the child as my own. You shouldn't be alone," Tom repeated, his offer sincere.

His kindness overwhelmed me. I didn't love him like Josh, but I accepted him. For my child's future, for stability, I agreed to marry Tom.

I cared deeply for Jamie, Tom's son. His laughter and innocence had been my comfort. If I could love Jamie, maybe I could build a life with Tom based on respect and a shared commitment to our family.

Two years after marrying Tom, I was walking on the same promenade with Hope, my daughter, when I saw Josh. He approached, shocked to see me and our daughter.

"You left us," I confronted him, anger and pain in my voice. "You left me because you didn't want our child!"

"What? No, I didn't! I didn't know about the child!" Josh seemed confused.

I told him about the letter I sent announcing my pregnancy, which he claimed never to have received.

"I would've come back for you," Josh pleaded, his eyes filled with regret.

He knelt, begging for forgiveness, and I couldn't help but soften. "She looks like me," he said, looking at Hope.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

"I still love you, Josh," I admitted, feeling a mix of joy and fear.

"Come with me to another city," Josh proposed, looking at us both.

"Yes, we will," I agreed, overwhelmed by the promise of a new start.

As we walked hand in hand, I knew I had to face Tom and tell him about my decision. The thought weighed heavily on me, but Josh's presence gave me strength.

"I met Josh today," I told Tom. His face went pale.

"He thought I stopped loving him because he never got my letter about the pregnancy," I explained.

"I know," Tom admitted. "I burnt those letters. I wanted you to be mine."

I was shocked. "How could you do this, Tom?"

"I thought you'd have a better life with me," Tom justified.

Angry and hurt, I decided to leave. But Tom threatened, "If you go, I'll put your brother in jail."

Torn, I met Josh but lied to protect my brother. "Hope and I are not coming with you," I said, my heart breaking.

"Why?" Josh asked, confused and hurt.

"I don't love you, not anymore," I lied, turning away to hide my tears.

Running back, I knew I had sacrificed my happiness to save my brother, leaving Josh behind with a broken heart, but it was the only choice I had.

Holding Rose's diary, Kate felt overwhelmed by the parallels between their lives. Both were trapped in loveless marriages for the sake of family obligations.

"Grandma, do you remember Josh?" Kate asked, her voice shaking.

"Hope, is that you?" Rose murmured, confused.

"No, it's Kate," she corrected gently, the pain of her grandmother's confusion evident. Rose didn't remember anything about Josh, but Kate was determined to find him and tell him that Rose did love him.

So Kate searched Rose's diary for any information about Josh, and there it was. An old address. This was her only hope. She drove to the neighboring city, and once there, she knocked on the door to face a man who bore a striking resemblance to the young man's picture in Rose's diary.

"Are you Josh?" Kate asked. "I'm Rose's granddaughter, and it turns out yours too. My mother's name is Hope."

"Rose..." Josh whispered, a wave of memories washing over him. "I-I can never forget her. How... Oh, God!"

Kate handed him the diary and letters. "My grandmother has Alzheimer's, but these prove she loved you her whole life. I want you to know that."

Josh, puzzled by the items, was reluctant to believe her. "She told me she doesn't love me."

"That's not true. She said that to save her brother. Read the diary, you'll understand," Kate insisted, desperate for him to know the truth.

"So she did love me?" Josh realized, the weight of the revelation heavy in his voice as he finished reading.

"Yes, always," Kate affirmed, offering him solace and closure. "I hope you don't hate her now."

"I never hated her," Josh said. "Never. She was the love of my life. Will always be."

Kate knew he was telling the truth because his living room was filled with a young, gorgeous woman's picture — a younger and prettier Rose.

After giving Josh her grandmother's diary, Kate left his house. On her way back home, she ran into Michael, her first love, stranded in a broken car.

"Do you need help?" Kate asked, surprised to see Michael.

"Kate? Hey. If you know how to repair cars, sure," Michael joked, lightening the mood.

"No, I mean, I can give you a ride," she said, and Michael asked her to drop him at the nearest auto repair shop. During the ride, they chatted, and Michael revealed he was single and just working all the time.

As they reached the mechanic, Michael said goodbye, and then hesitated, asking if he could text her.

"Sounds great," Kate responded, her heart lifting at the prospect.

"Do you still have the same number?" Michael asked.

"Yes, I can remind you," Kate offered, but Michael assured her he remembered it. By heart.

"Then, see you?" Kate asked hopefully.

"See you," Michael confirmed, waving as Kate drove off, their brief encounter promising a new beginning.

Returning home, Kate decided it was time to confront her unhappy marriage. When Colin came home late, reeking of another woman's perfume, Kate seized the moment to declare her intention to divorce, despite Colin's threat to stop paying for her sister's treatment.

"I'm filing for divorce," Kate stated firmly.

"Then I'll stop paying for your sister's treatment," Colin retorted.

"No worries, I'll figure it out. I don't want to be with someone I don't love," Kate responded with newfound resolve.

After Colin stormed out, Kate felt relieved despite the challenges ahead. Her phone buzzed with a message from Michael, simply saying, "Hi." This small gesture filled her with hope and the promise of a new beginning where love might finally find a place in her life.

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