talk to each of us alone. Aunt Morgan is with her now. Then she wants to see me, then you.”
Dad turned pale, but he simply said, “Okay.” After a moment, he added, “Are you all right with this, Sunny?”
“I think so.”
Dad and I slumped into chairs in the living room and sat there wordlessly, hardly moving. A few minutes later Aunt Morgan slipped out of Mom’s room. Tears were streaming down her face.
She headed into the kitchen. To be with Carol, I guess.
And I stood up and walked into Mom’s room.
I sat on the edge of her bed.
“Hi,” I said.
Mom smiled at me.
Then I leaned over and put my arms around. I feel against her and began to cry. Mom stroked my hair.
“It’s almost time,” she said to me.
“I know.” I began wildly trying to recall the list I made. But I couldn’t even remember how many things I wanted to say, let alone what they were. Something about Greece and getting married and when Mom was little and when I was little.
“I love you, sweetheart,” said Mom.
“I love you too,” I replied. “You’re the best mother in the whole world.”
“And you’re the best daughter. I couldn’t have ordered a better one.”
I tried to smile, but instead I cried harder.
Mom held me as tightly as she was able. “You know,” she said, “I’ll always be with you, even if I’m not here.”
“Yes.”
“You and Dad — remember to take care of each other.”
“Okay.”
“Take care of Dawn a little too, and she’ll take care of you. And go to Carol for anything. You know you can do that, don’t you?”
“Yes. … Mom, I love you so much.”
“I know.” She paused. Then she said, “I love you big,” just like she used to say when I was little.
I stood up. It was time to get Dad. And after Dad had his time with Mom, he and Aunt Morgan and I were going to sit with her until the very end came. We decided this, the four of this, several days ago.
I sat by myself in the living room. Aunt Morgan and Carol were still in the kitchen and I felt like being alone. Ten minutes went by. Then Dad leaned out of Mom’s room and said, “Sunny,
please get Aunt Morgan and come in now.”
I jumped to my feet and ran to the kitchen. I was shaking all over. “Aunt Morgan,” I said, and I realized my voice was shaking too. “Dad says to come in now.”
Carol hurried to me and buried me in a hug. Then Aunt Morgan and I went back to Mom’s room and sat on the bed. We found Dad next to Mom, holding her in his arms. I sat on the side of the bed and took Mom’s hand. Aunt Morgan sat at the foot of the bed.
It really was time.
I couldn’t believe it.
Mom and Dad and Aunt Morgan and I sat on the bed in silence for a moment or two. Then I took Aunt Morgan’s hand with my free hand so she could feel more connected to Mom. Finally Mom said, “It’s time.”
I squeezed her hand ore tightly.
Mom closed her eyes. “I love you,” she said to us. “Take care of each other. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Dad and Aunt Morgan and I said.
And then … we all sat there for nearly two hours. Mom’s breathing changed. Sometimes she didn’t take a breath for ten or twenty seconds. Her eyes became all glassy. Then, finally, they closed. I watched her chest move up and down. And then … I don’t know what changed
exactly, but it was as if I could see the fight leave her. She began to look more peaceful. More and more peaceful. Her chest was barely moving. Then it was still for a very long time.
I started to cry.
Dad and Aunt Morgan were crying softly too.
At last Dad said, “I think she’s gone.”
And she was. Nobody moved for a few minutes, though.
Finally, Dad stood up and cleared his throat. I ran from the room and straight into Carol’s arms.
After that — it was as if the house had been asleep for a long, long time and suddenly it woke up. We made thousands of phone calls. The doctor returned. People came by.
All I could think was, what do we do
Dad turned pale, but he simply said, “Okay.” After a moment, he added, “Are you all right with this, Sunny?”
“I think so.”
Dad and I slumped into chairs in the living room and sat there wordlessly, hardly moving. A few minutes later Aunt Morgan slipped out of Mom’s room. Tears were streaming down her face.
She headed into the kitchen. To be with Carol, I guess.
And I stood up and walked into Mom’s room.
I sat on the edge of her bed.
“Hi,” I said.
Mom smiled at me.
Then I leaned over and put my arms around. I feel against her and began to cry. Mom stroked my hair.
“It’s almost time,” she said to me.
“I know.” I began wildly trying to recall the list I made. But I couldn’t even remember how many things I wanted to say, let alone what they were. Something about Greece and getting married and when Mom was little and when I was little.
“I love you, sweetheart,” said Mom.
“I love you too,” I replied. “You’re the best mother in the whole world.”
“And you’re the best daughter. I couldn’t have ordered a better one.”
I tried to smile, but instead I cried harder.
Mom held me as tightly as she was able. “You know,” she said, “I’ll always be with you, even if I’m not here.”
“Yes.”
“You and Dad — remember to take care of each other.”
“Okay.”
“Take care of Dawn a little too, and she’ll take care of you. And go to Carol for anything. You know you can do that, don’t you?”
“Yes. … Mom, I love you so much.”
“I know.” She paused. Then she said, “I love you big,” just like she used to say when I was little.
I stood up. It was time to get Dad. And after Dad had his time with Mom, he and Aunt Morgan and I were going to sit with her until the very end came. We decided this, the four of this, several days ago.
I sat by myself in the living room. Aunt Morgan and Carol were still in the kitchen and I felt like being alone. Ten minutes went by. Then Dad leaned out of Mom’s room and said, “Sunny,
please get Aunt Morgan and come in now.”
I jumped to my feet and ran to the kitchen. I was shaking all over. “Aunt Morgan,” I said, and I realized my voice was shaking too. “Dad says to come in now.”
Carol hurried to me and buried me in a hug. Then Aunt Morgan and I went back to Mom’s room and sat on the bed. We found Dad next to Mom, holding her in his arms. I sat on the side of the bed and took Mom’s hand. Aunt Morgan sat at the foot of the bed.
It really was time.
I couldn’t believe it.
Mom and Dad and Aunt Morgan and I sat on the bed in silence for a moment or two. Then I took Aunt Morgan’s hand with my free hand so she could feel more connected to Mom. Finally Mom said, “It’s time.”
I squeezed her hand ore tightly.
Mom closed her eyes. “I love you,” she said to us. “Take care of each other. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Dad and Aunt Morgan and I said.
And then … we all sat there for nearly two hours. Mom’s breathing changed. Sometimes she didn’t take a breath for ten or twenty seconds. Her eyes became all glassy. Then, finally, they closed. I watched her chest move up and down. And then … I don’t know what changed
exactly, but it was as if I could see the fight leave her. She began to look more peaceful. More and more peaceful. Her chest was barely moving. Then it was still for a very long time.
I started to cry.
Dad and Aunt Morgan were crying softly too.
At last Dad said, “I think she’s gone.”
And she was. Nobody moved for a few minutes, though.
Finally, Dad stood up and cleared his throat. I ran from the room and straight into Carol’s arms.
After that — it was as if the house had been asleep for a long, long time and suddenly it woke up. We made thousands of phone calls. The doctor returned. People came by.
All I could think was, what do we do
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