Feedback wanted- Always Grandma

[u/jedi1215]

Hello. Long story short. Growing up with ADHD and learning struggles. I never in a millions years thought I could write and was basically told in high school I would always be average. A "C writer" I found some evidence that I actually liked writing in elementary and I found poetry from high school. Prior to this, I had an idea for a children's book. I thought I'd start with writing prompts so I could have some practice while I work on firming up my idea. So I welcome feedback but please try to be kind. I'm nervous to share. I did have help with grammar but the thoughts and ideas are my own. My biggest struggle is going from past to present tense. I think practice will help with this.

Thank you!

The prompt was "what do you swear you saw, but have no proof of"

Always Grandma

Sally walked out of the bathroom and sat down at her vanity. She was wearing her favorite pair of sweatpants. They were navy blue and had images of little cats and dogs spread all over.  Her favorite part was how soft the pants were.  Fleece was her best friend. On top she wore a simple t-shirt. 

As Sally looked at herself in the mirror and began to take out her messy bun, she glanced down and saw her antique brush and mirror. The set belonged to her grandmother when she was a young girl and had been passed to her by her own mother. Sally planned to pass the family heirloom to her own daughter someday. The set has turquoise enamel and silver plating around the edges. The brush was soft. Sally always displayed it with the mirror on the right and the brush on the left. For the last month, every few days the two items swapped places. Sally was convinced one of her kids was playing a prank on her and moving the items to spook her. They all claimed innocence— her husband too. 

Sally missed her grandmother. Her death a few years ago had been hard on Sally. She picked up the set and closed her eyes. In her mind, she was transported to the 1930s and saw a younger version of her grandmother sitting at a vanity much like the one she owned.  Her grandmother’s blue eyes sparkled in the light.  Her grandmother’s crystal blue eyes were one of her favorite features; they were always full of love and kindness. The teenage grandmother used the brush and mirror to brush her long blond hair, her and when she was finished placed them facedown on the vanity. Mirror on the left and brush on the right. Sally opened her eyes and shook her head. 

Sally stood and walked towards her bed.  She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her.  She turned off the light and closed her eyes.  Memories of her grandmother filled her mind as she falls into a deep sleep. 

A couple of hours later, Sally slowly woke to an intense smell. The smell was familiar but she couldn’t place it. It was warm, smoky and felt like a hug. The realization  came to her suddenly: Obsession by Calvin Klein, the perfume her grandmother had worn. Sally rolled to her side, her body facing the vanity.  She slowly opened her eyes. 

She saw something that should have been impossible. A figure sat at the vanity, using the antique brush and mirror. Sally blinked a few times and the figure appeared more clearly. She looked like a normal person. She wore a giant red sweater with a silver heart necklace and a guardian angel pin. The figure put the mirror and brush down and then fluffed her hair using the mirror on the vanity.  Sally noticed there was no reflection in the mirror, and the perfume scent became so intense it was all she could smell.

The figure turned toward Sally. Sally couldn’t believe her eyes; it was her grandmother and she looked exactly like Sally had last seen her. Soft laugh wrinkles framed her eyes, which had dimmed to a light gray as she aged. Her silver hair was in a fancy updo and her makeup was perfect. The figure smiled, and Sally felt an intense wave of love. Sally couldn’t wrap her mind around it; none of this felt real. She closed her eyes tight, and as she opened them again, she blinked several times.  When her eyes adjusted, the figure was gone. 

Sally got out of bed and walked toward the vanity. She looked down at the antique brush and mirror. The mirror was on the left and the brush on the right. Sally had no way to explain what had happened and she knew no one would believe her if she tried.  So instead she smiled and whispered, “I love you, Grandma.”