breath. Immediately, I know something’s not right.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I scream into the phone.
“Oh Brian, it’s just been another one of those grueling days. I thought I could leave your dad alone long enough to take a shower, but as soon as I closed the bathroom door, he started calling for me. He can’t stand to have me out of his sight. He’s been in so much pain today and the nurse says if he gets any worse, I may have to take him to the emergency room.”
“Mom, I’m so sorry. I know you’re doing everything you can for him. I won’t keep you on the phone long, I just wanted to check in.”
I hear my father’s muffled cries in the background and figure she must be in front of him. As bad as I hate to admit it, I almost wish she’d consider putting dad in some kind of assisted living facility because he’s mentally and physically draining her—she’s beyond worn out. But I also know the money isn’t there to take care of doing that, either. They’d have to sell pretty much everything they owned just to pay for it and even then it might not be enough to cover the expense.
“Brian, I need to go. Your father’s bed sheets need changing and if I don’t change them soon, there’s going to be an even bigger mess to clean up.”
“Mom, I’m at the park with Brady, but as soon as we get back home, I’m going to come over and help you. You need a break.” I know Grace is probably going to have dinner ready, but I need to be there for my mom.
I let Brady play a bit longer then push him in the swings for a few minutes. It’s such a joy standing in front of him as I push him back and forth. His smile is gigantic—he’s such a happy kid. His giggles fill the air, warming my heart. His blonde hair lifts in the breeze created by his swinging and it’s so hard to believe this is my boy. After all of my wrong doings, God allowed me to have a son.
I pull out my phone again and take a quick photo. I send the shot over to Grace before putting it away. I can never have enough pictures of Brady. My mind drifts back to the photo of Chloe and I wonder if the two of them look anything alike when she was this age.
Even though there’s still plenty of daylight left, we head on back to the house. I tell Grace about my recent chat with mom and how I told her I’d come over to give her a hand.
“I know there’s not a whole lot I can do, but if she can at least take a shower, I know she’ll feel a little better.”
“I’ll just fix something lite for Brady and me then. Call me when you start to head back and I’ll have something ready for you.”
I lean over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I don’t want to put you through any trouble. I’ll just swing by a fast food place and grab something. I’d hate for you to go to any trouble especially if it’s late.”
I change into another pair of shorts and slip on a polo. I don’t think mom would mind me wearing my comfortable, slightly stained t-shirt, but I never know when the hospice nurse may stop by. I’d hate for her to think how unkempt I look. I grab my keys, kiss Grace again, and head out the door.
“Hopefully I won’t be too late,” I call out to her.
“Take your time. We’ll be fine.”
Not sure why, but I catch myself speeding on the way to my parent’s house. I guess I’m just anxious to get there. I slow down when I realize it, not wanting to get stopped by the police. I’ve not had any run-ins with the authorities for several years, and I’d like to keep it that way. There for a while, it seemed like I had a constant target on my back. Spending time in jail is not something I ever want to do again. It’s a part of my life I wish I could forget.
That last stunt I pulled that put me in jail for quite some time was the final straw for me. There are too many things in life that you let pass you by when you are caught up in doing stupid, irresponsible stuff all the time. It took a while for my attorney to get my record
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I scream into the phone.
“Oh Brian, it’s just been another one of those grueling days. I thought I could leave your dad alone long enough to take a shower, but as soon as I closed the bathroom door, he started calling for me. He can’t stand to have me out of his sight. He’s been in so much pain today and the nurse says if he gets any worse, I may have to take him to the emergency room.”
“Mom, I’m so sorry. I know you’re doing everything you can for him. I won’t keep you on the phone long, I just wanted to check in.”
I hear my father’s muffled cries in the background and figure she must be in front of him. As bad as I hate to admit it, I almost wish she’d consider putting dad in some kind of assisted living facility because he’s mentally and physically draining her—she’s beyond worn out. But I also know the money isn’t there to take care of doing that, either. They’d have to sell pretty much everything they owned just to pay for it and even then it might not be enough to cover the expense.
“Brian, I need to go. Your father’s bed sheets need changing and if I don’t change them soon, there’s going to be an even bigger mess to clean up.”
“Mom, I’m at the park with Brady, but as soon as we get back home, I’m going to come over and help you. You need a break.” I know Grace is probably going to have dinner ready, but I need to be there for my mom.
I let Brady play a bit longer then push him in the swings for a few minutes. It’s such a joy standing in front of him as I push him back and forth. His smile is gigantic—he’s such a happy kid. His giggles fill the air, warming my heart. His blonde hair lifts in the breeze created by his swinging and it’s so hard to believe this is my boy. After all of my wrong doings, God allowed me to have a son.
I pull out my phone again and take a quick photo. I send the shot over to Grace before putting it away. I can never have enough pictures of Brady. My mind drifts back to the photo of Chloe and I wonder if the two of them look anything alike when she was this age.
Even though there’s still plenty of daylight left, we head on back to the house. I tell Grace about my recent chat with mom and how I told her I’d come over to give her a hand.
“I know there’s not a whole lot I can do, but if she can at least take a shower, I know she’ll feel a little better.”
“I’ll just fix something lite for Brady and me then. Call me when you start to head back and I’ll have something ready for you.”
I lean over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I don’t want to put you through any trouble. I’ll just swing by a fast food place and grab something. I’d hate for you to go to any trouble especially if it’s late.”
I change into another pair of shorts and slip on a polo. I don’t think mom would mind me wearing my comfortable, slightly stained t-shirt, but I never know when the hospice nurse may stop by. I’d hate for her to think how unkempt I look. I grab my keys, kiss Grace again, and head out the door.
“Hopefully I won’t be too late,” I call out to her.
“Take your time. We’ll be fine.”
Not sure why, but I catch myself speeding on the way to my parent’s house. I guess I’m just anxious to get there. I slow down when I realize it, not wanting to get stopped by the police. I’ve not had any run-ins with the authorities for several years, and I’d like to keep it that way. There for a while, it seemed like I had a constant target on my back. Spending time in jail is not something I ever want to do again. It’s a part of my life I wish I could forget.
That last stunt I pulled that put me in jail for quite some time was the final straw for me. There are too many things in life that you let pass you by when you are caught up in doing stupid, irresponsible stuff all the time. It took a while for my attorney to get my record
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