Chapter 18
My health declined slowly.
Nothing dramatic.
Heart.
Arthritis.
Age.
Lily visited too often.
I told her.
“You have a life.”
“You’re in it.”
Annoyingly good answer.
Tommy married a journalist named Ava.
Susan Grace moved to Boston.
Daniel retired.
Lily reduced her workload.
One Easter morning, she arrived at my apartment with coffee.
“No party?”
“Later.”
“What time?”
“Two.”
I looked at the clock.
2:13 still had meaning.
Less each year.
We sat on the balcony.
Church bells faded.
Lily said:
“Do you remember exactly what I said?”
“Yes.”
“Dad... please come get me.”
She looked toward the trees.
“I barely remember making the call.”
“I remember every breath.”
“Do you wish I called earlier?”
“Yes.”
She smiled sadly.
“Do you blame me?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Then she asked:
“Do you blame yourself?”
“Less.”
“Less?”
“I still wonder.”
“Dad.”
“I know.”
She took my hand.
“You came when I asked.”
“Yes.”
“That’s the part I remember most.”
I looked at her.
“Not the rest?”
“Pieces.”
“Your truck.”
“Your sleeve.”
“The hospital.”
Then:
“The smell of your house.”
My throat tightened.
“Glazed ham?”
She laughed.
“No.”
“Coffee.”
“Old wood.”
“Home.”
I cried.
Of course.
At two, family arrived.
Tommy hid eggs for younger cousins.
Susan Grace brought lemon cake.
Daniel overcooked ham.
Tradition.
At 2:13, Lily raised her cup.
“To somewhere to land.”
Everyone looked confused except us.
I raised mine.
“To somewhere to land.”
That was enough.
Later, Susan Grace asked about the Whitmore mansion.
“It became a hotel, right?”
“Yes.”
“Can we go?”
Lily froze.
Then thought.
“Why?”
“Architecture.”
Of course.
They visited months later.
I did not.
Lily sent photographs.
The white rug gone.
Living room redesigned.
Bar removed.
Marble steps remained.
She stood on the porch where Margaret shoved me.
Caption:
JUST STONE NOW.
I smiled.
Places lose power too.
When she returned, she said:
“I thought I’d feel something huge.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Disappointed?”
“No.”
She smiled.
“Relieved.”
Good.
She kept one small stone from the garden.
Not stolen.
Hotel manager allowed it after hearing why.
She placed it in her backyard.
Tommy asked:
“Why?”
Lily said:
“Because places change.”
Then planted lavender around it.
Again.
Transformation.
May you like
Not required.
But beautiful when it happened.
