Petals

The man began to show up less and less with each day. The family was in clear distress, as there was always unrest about the future that lay ahead. Talk of nurses, new renovations, and anything to bring comfort. A comfort that couldn't be provided by his own body anymore. ALS takes things from you that you cant imagine living without. He fumbled as he walked, holding onto anything for support. The man was losing the ability to walk. One day the man simply stopped showing up. The music stopped and the house grew quiet. I stayed put, never losing sight. The tender care persisted and never quite went away even on the darkest days. The cold ice cube appeared every Sunday, with a new warm touch enclosing it. A girl came in who was copy and paste. The same bushy eyebrows, lips curling in when they smiled, small little forehead wrinkles, and a laugh that would echo the house in the same way. She would come and sit for a while and stare. She would whisper I miss you and then walk away.