“I will see you soon,”
Her hand was small and pale. It rested weakly on the side of the bed, limp and useless.
He took the small hand in his. His was much larger than hers. It was so big, in fact, that he could easily encompass the fragile fingers within his palm. A sharp choking overcame him as his warmth elicited no response from her. It was then that he became aware that her hand would never squeeze his back again.
His fingers reached up to stroke her face, reveling at the marvelous features of the woman he had loved for so long. He had memorized each aspect of her body. He knew it so well, he most likely had a memory corresponding to each part of her.
His thumb traced her lips, the motion bringing him back in time to a different time and place.
They were young when they got married, something that had been very common at the time. It was one of the most amazing days of his life. Nothing could have prepared him for the beauty that had radiated from that young woman on the day she walked down the aisle to stand by his side. He remembered the soft touch of her lips that had followed their vows and the feeling in his chest as he realized that would not be the last time he would hold the woman he loved.
The bittersweet memory gave way to reality as he let out a small sigh. Carefully, his finger brushed the raised scar on the woman’s cheek.
They hadn’t known about the condition until she had come to the hospital for what they had thought was a completely different reason. She had fallen down the stairs. Thankfully, the only thing needed to fix her that time were some stitches on her face, something she had been very self-conscious about. Time and time again he needed to reassure her that she was beautiful no matter what, and that the scar just showed she was strong.
While she was at the hospital they noted strange behavior. After a variety of tests, they slammed the love of his life with a label and a condition. They were forced to look at options for the future, when the only option they cared about was spending each remaining moment together.
In the present, his fingers brushed through her short hair.
She had always insisted on longer hair. After he was needed to send her to a facility better able to help her, they insisted instead on shorter. They had repeatedly told him that it was getting too difficult. “She fights us when we brush it!” They had claimed. Begrudgingly, he had allowed the haircut to take place.
He couldn’t help but regret the decision as he realized she would be buried with short hair.
Only one child still came to visit, although the child had been too busy working to show up for their mother’s last moments. All the other children lived too far away or had lives of their own. They were too preoccupied with their own issues. He was certain they didn’t have a grasp on the gravity of the situation. At times he felt bitter about their lack of care for their mother, as none were there for her final breaths, but he understood that they were busy.
Besides, he did enjoy spending some time alone with her.
Their children had told him it was too hard to see her the way she was. They were determined to retain the mother from their memories. His view on the situation was different.
Despite the dementia, she was still the same woman. Things change, but she would always be the love of his life and a mother to them. He couldn’t imagine having lived with anyone else.
His hand squeezed hers again, assuring her lifeless frame that he was still there.
At that moment, the hospice nurse entered the room. He gave his wife one last smile as he took in the beauty she still retained, even to the end.
“I will see you soon,” He said, as he let her hand fall back to the soft mattress.