about the long life he and Julie had had together. The group members shared their writing every week, and those Friday afternoons were the best he’d had for a long time.
At the end of the grief support course, Karen took Bill aside. “Don’t stop writing, Bill,” she said. “You should write down all your family memories. They are a wonderful gift to leave to your daughter and grandchild.”
“I’m not sure how interested my daughter, Wendy, is.”
“I bet she will be interested once you show your stories to her.”
“Where would I start?”
“Go back as far as you like. You told us that all the men in your family have been police officers, right back to your great-grandfather. Why do you think he chose to join the police force?”
“Good question. The pay was poor and the hours were long. But something made him stick it out, and he became a detective. I have a photograph of him from 1895. He looks like a good person.”
“Wow,” said Karen. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot you could write about.”
“Well... I don’t know.... ”
“Come on, Bill. It would be a good exercise for you.”
So Bill started to write, and he found that his great-grandfather’s story came quite easily to him. He enjoyed trying to get into the heart and mind of his ancestor.
He told Wendy what he’d written. She said she wanted to read it, but as yet, she hadn’t found time.
Chapter Three
The evening was cold and wet. Sleet was slamming against the windows. Bill felt miserable. Tomorrow would be the first anniversary of Julie’s death, and he dreaded spending Christmas without her. He warmed up a frozen pasta dinner from the supermarket. He thought about writing some more, but he couldn’t settle into it. The hockey game was due to come on in a minute. If the Maple Leafs won, watching the game would be even better for his mood than writing.
The phone rang. He answered it.
“Hi, Dad, it’s me.”
Bill groaned to himself. He loved Wendy, but he knew from experience that when she called on a Saturday evening, she wanted something. He was right.
“Dad, I hate to ask you this on such short notice, but my babysitter has let me down. She broke her ankle at the skating rink. She’s in the hospital.”
“Well, that’s a good excuse,” said Bill. “Let me guess. You want me to babysit?”
“Oh, Dad, will you? I’d cancel going out, but it’s a special office party, and I really shouldn’t miss it.”
Normally, Bill was only too happy to be with his granddaughter, but tonight the hockey game was a special one. He didn’t really want to go out in this miserable weather, either.
“I don’t suppose Keith could do it, for once? He is Amy’s father, after all.”
There was a little silence on the other end of the line.
“In fact, it’s Keith’s office party I’m going to,” Wendy said.
Another silence. “You didn’t tell me you were getting back together.”
“I’m not really sure we are, that’s why. We’re trying to start all over again. Just go on some dates. That sort of thing. Besides, I didn’t tell you because I know how you feel about him.”
“Hey, Wendy. It’s your life. I’m not the one he cheated on. I’m not the one who was dumped without notice. That was you, my girl. But maybe you can forgive him for that. And for being an empty-headed, self-centred idiot who’s only interested in getting rich fast. If you can forgive all that, you deserve angel’s wings.”
“Dad. Please. Keith has changed. He’s been thinking about things. He says he misses Amy and me.”
“Really? You could have fooled me. I thought he forgot her last birthday.”
Wendy sighed. “He’s changed, Dad. He really has. And he is the father of your granddaughter. Surely that counts for something?”
“Amy is the only reason I haven’t slugged the guy.”
In the background, Bill heard the sound of a doorbell ringing.
“That’s Keith now,” Wendy said. “Dad, will you do this for me? You
At the end of the grief support course, Karen took Bill aside. “Don’t stop writing, Bill,” she said. “You should write down all your family memories. They are a wonderful gift to leave to your daughter and grandchild.”
“I’m not sure how interested my daughter, Wendy, is.”
“I bet she will be interested once you show your stories to her.”
“Where would I start?”
“Go back as far as you like. You told us that all the men in your family have been police officers, right back to your great-grandfather. Why do you think he chose to join the police force?”
“Good question. The pay was poor and the hours were long. But something made him stick it out, and he became a detective. I have a photograph of him from 1895. He looks like a good person.”
“Wow,” said Karen. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot you could write about.”
“Well... I don’t know.... ”
“Come on, Bill. It would be a good exercise for you.”
So Bill started to write, and he found that his great-grandfather’s story came quite easily to him. He enjoyed trying to get into the heart and mind of his ancestor.
He told Wendy what he’d written. She said she wanted to read it, but as yet, she hadn’t found time.
Chapter Three
The evening was cold and wet. Sleet was slamming against the windows. Bill felt miserable. Tomorrow would be the first anniversary of Julie’s death, and he dreaded spending Christmas without her. He warmed up a frozen pasta dinner from the supermarket. He thought about writing some more, but he couldn’t settle into it. The hockey game was due to come on in a minute. If the Maple Leafs won, watching the game would be even better for his mood than writing.
The phone rang. He answered it.
“Hi, Dad, it’s me.”
Bill groaned to himself. He loved Wendy, but he knew from experience that when she called on a Saturday evening, she wanted something. He was right.
“Dad, I hate to ask you this on such short notice, but my babysitter has let me down. She broke her ankle at the skating rink. She’s in the hospital.”
“Well, that’s a good excuse,” said Bill. “Let me guess. You want me to babysit?”
“Oh, Dad, will you? I’d cancel going out, but it’s a special office party, and I really shouldn’t miss it.”
Normally, Bill was only too happy to be with his granddaughter, but tonight the hockey game was a special one. He didn’t really want to go out in this miserable weather, either.
“I don’t suppose Keith could do it, for once? He is Amy’s father, after all.”
There was a little silence on the other end of the line.
“In fact, it’s Keith’s office party I’m going to,” Wendy said.
Another silence. “You didn’t tell me you were getting back together.”
“I’m not really sure we are, that’s why. We’re trying to start all over again. Just go on some dates. That sort of thing. Besides, I didn’t tell you because I know how you feel about him.”
“Hey, Wendy. It’s your life. I’m not the one he cheated on. I’m not the one who was dumped without notice. That was you, my girl. But maybe you can forgive him for that. And for being an empty-headed, self-centred idiot who’s only interested in getting rich fast. If you can forgive all that, you deserve angel’s wings.”
“Dad. Please. Keith has changed. He’s been thinking about things. He says he misses Amy and me.”
“Really? You could have fooled me. I thought he forgot her last birthday.”
Wendy sighed. “He’s changed, Dad. He really has. And he is the father of your granddaughter. Surely that counts for something?”
“Amy is the only reason I haven’t slugged the guy.”
In the background, Bill heard the sound of a doorbell ringing.
“That’s Keith now,” Wendy said. “Dad, will you do this for me? You
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