The old wooden planks of the attic were groaning under his weight with every step he made, the wide chamber filled with boxes; memories. A fresh breeze was soughing through the open window on his left when he stepped along a row of boxes standing next to an old sofa.

Hard work was lying ahead of him as the room was meant to be renovated for their oldest daughter since a new family member would be born soon.

His brown eyes were wandering over the contents of the shelves next to the big window, the windowsill big enough to sit and even lie on. A smile scurried over his lips when he remembered the times he had spent with his significant other up here every now and then.

His fingers were gently grazing the pillowed top of the wide windowsill, little flakes of dust flowing around due to the soughing wind and his subtle movements. He sighed softly when he looked out of the window, his eyes wandering over the garden of their home and its surroundings. They were living in a small village, far-off the busy streets and half an hour away from the next bigger city. He had spent half of his life on the countryside and now he was back, together with his family.

He slowly spun around, taking in the view of the attic which he was sure of would be a suitable bedroom for a girl that would turn 14. Another reason, why he was up here, were the baby clothes hidden in a big chest next to the sofa.

He let his fingers run over the spines of the books stored in the shelves, his eyes flickering over their titles when he slowly made his way towards the sofa. He stopped in his tracks when his nimble fingers touched a thick book without any sign of a title, his eyes sparkling when he knew which one he had just found.

A smile lay on his lips when he took the thick book out of the shelf, a slight sheen of dust covering the leather-bound dark-blue book. The greyish-white substance was crumbling under his palm when he ran his hand over its cover, the shiny letters Photo Album engraved on it.

He slowly made his way over to the windowsill, settling down onto the pillowed surface before he opened the thick book which held so many memories of him and his companion in life; innocent, sad, heartbreaking and happy ones. A little laugh left his lips when he looked at the first picture inside of the photo album, a perfect image of him and his spouse playing together in the yard.

He had been four back then when everything had taken its course, when everything had started.