This time when she visited and asked him how he was doing, he told her a story. She could see by his earnestness that it was important to him. He really wanted to tell her about what he had done earlier in the week.
“I went to see the doctor.”
“How did that go?”
“There was water.”
“What water, where?”
“Outside.”
“Oh, a lake?”
“And animals.”
“What animals were they?”
“They were…..there. They were by the water. They were in a group. They…”
“Were they geese?”
“They were together..”
“Were they ducks?”
“They were...”
He stumbled for the right words. He had never had this kind of difficulty telling a story before. He was frustrated…It bothered him that he couldn’t tell her what he had seen.
She was puzzled…and sad. She had known he wasn’t doing well. Perhaps for the first time, she wondered for how much longer he would be with her.
She tried to pick a new topic; something that they could talk about without him feeling bad.
“Dad, it’s Valentine’s Day today. I baked some brownies that I brought over to share. The girls helped me make them.”
He nodded, not comforted really. He knew something still wasn’t right and he remembered he couldn’t speak what was on his mind.
She knew, too. They sat together and watched TV.
An hour passed…or was it two? It was time for her to get ready to go…but wasn’t there some way she could connect before she left?
“I love you, Dad.” She couldn’t remember saying that to him before.
He paused, looked up and said, “I love you too.” She didn’t remember hearing those words before.
After all, it was Valentine’s Day.
- Equinox
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