Missed Meeting

I was sitting in the chair, off to the side, out of the way, listening to the machines beep and boop as my step-mom quietly whispered, over and over, “please come … please come ...” when I realized my dad was there. He stood over Frannie’s bed and held his hand out to her as if he were going to help her to get up out of the bed.

Frannie put her hand in his and began to sit up, but then lay back down again and crossed her arms over her belly.

He’s here to take her, I thought. I felt the tears slowly fill my eyes. After Frannie withdrew her hand from his, he walked to the empty chair between Frannie and I and sat down.

“She’s ready?” I asked.

“No,” he said, “it’s time, but she says she doesn’t want to go. I can’t make her.”

I nodded, and we sat in silence for several minutes before he left.

I sat in my chair and listened to the machines beep and boop as my step-mom quietly whispered, over and over, “please come … please come ...” and I wondered at what she missed.