For a brief moment Cassie closed her eyes trying to conjure up pictures from her childhood. She could hear the music playing on their old record player. She could see her father and mother caught in an embrace as Frank Sinatra or Mel Torme serenaded them in the dimly lit kitchen.
Her mother had always loved to dance and her father had always obliged this whim. Evie’s eyes would light up like candles when Eddie wrapped her in his arms twirling her about to the beat of their old favorites.
Both she and Emily would sometimes sneak out of their rooms late at night so they could sit quietly at the top stairs to watch them sashay around the crowded little kitchen acting like two teenagers on a date. They had always been in love that much she was sure of. They’d had their moments just like every married couple raising children but somehow, they always managed to get through to the other side, the one where love concurred all. Their love and how they lived their life was how both girls set their future standards as far as boys were concerned. They wanted what they saw in their parent’s relationship. They wanted those kind words they would overhear their parents whisper to each other when they thought they were alone. They wanted that hand to hold when times got tough, but more than anything, they wanted to find that one special person who, no matter what, would always stand by their side.
***
“Who are you? Why are you in my house?” was the first thing out of Evie’s mouth when she scuffled into the kitchen. Eddie looked at Stef and shrugged his shoulders.
“I made you and Dad dinner Mom,” Stef said even though she could feel her heart skip a few beats. She was noticeably shocked by how different her mom looked when her brain went to that dark, elusive place, when her memory was completely blocked by the disease, but she said nothing. She turned around and began to dish the food out all while trying to stifle the sob that was making it’s way up from her belly to her throat.
“Sit down Evie,” Eddie said pulling out a chair for her. “Stef’s made us a nice meal tonight isn’t that nice?”
For just the briefest of moments something came alive in her mother’s eyes. Stef wanted to seize the moment, to say something that her mom would respond to but by the time the first word passed over her lips Evie was gone again. She stared at the plate of food for a few moments, then picked up her fork and began to eat.
Other than her complaining about the beans being overcooked, and a little small talk about the changing weather, the rest of their dinner was eaten in silence.
Eddie took Evie back upstairs when their meal was over and tucked her back into bed. He turned the bedside table on and gently laid the book she was reading onto her lap. Just as he was about to leave the bedroom she called out to him.
“Eddie…tell Steffanie thank you for dinner will you? That was so nice of her to come and cook for us. I wish she would come more often,” she said as a smile formed on her lips. Eddie could tell that she was truly there right then and he turned to smile at her.
“I love you Evie,” he said always grateful for these small glimpses of her as she once was.
“I love you too Eddie,” she said looking at him as though this was their normal everyday chatter.
“Tell her not to forget to pack up the leftovers. You can have them for lunch tomorrow, okay?” she added as she picked up her book.
“I’ll tell her.”
When he came back into the kitchen Stef had nearly finished cleaning up and was putting the leftovers into one of the hundreds of Tupperware bowls her mother had amassed over the years. She smiled at him and said, “you should really get rid of some of these, there’s way too many…”
“No, I won’t get rid of even one of them. You’re mother loves Tupperware,” he said.
Stef moved across the few feet that separated them and put her arms around her father.
“She said to tell you thank you for dinner and that you should come around more often.”
With those words, Stef lost it. She stood there sobbing into her dad’s chest until all her tears had spilled out. As lost as she felt without her mother, she knew it had to be nearly impossible for her father and that made her cry even harder.
Before she left that night she told him that she and Emily were planning on taking him out for his birthday the following week. One of their girlfriends had agreed to come with them so she could stay with their mother while they were out because she rarely left the house anymore with the exception of maybe a doctor’s visit.
“I can’t wait. It will be nice to have the two of you all to myself.”
“I love you Dad.”
“I love you too Princess!”
Her mother had always loved to dance and her father had always obliged this whim. Evie’s eyes would light up like candles when Eddie wrapped her in his arms twirling her about to the beat of their old favorites.
Both she and Emily would sometimes sneak out of their rooms late at night so they could sit quietly at the top stairs to watch them sashay around the crowded little kitchen acting like two teenagers on a date. They had always been in love that much she was sure of. They’d had their moments just like every married couple raising children but somehow, they always managed to get through to the other side, the one where love concurred all. Their love and how they lived their life was how both girls set their future standards as far as boys were concerned. They wanted what they saw in their parent’s relationship. They wanted those kind words they would overhear their parents whisper to each other when they thought they were alone. They wanted that hand to hold when times got tough, but more than anything, they wanted to find that one special person who, no matter what, would always stand by their side.
***
“Who are you? Why are you in my house?” was the first thing out of Evie’s mouth when she scuffled into the kitchen. Eddie looked at Stef and shrugged his shoulders.
“I made you and Dad dinner Mom,” Stef said even though she could feel her heart skip a few beats. She was noticeably shocked by how different her mom looked when her brain went to that dark, elusive place, when her memory was completely blocked by the disease, but she said nothing. She turned around and began to dish the food out all while trying to stifle the sob that was making it’s way up from her belly to her throat.
“Sit down Evie,” Eddie said pulling out a chair for her. “Stef’s made us a nice meal tonight isn’t that nice?”
For just the briefest of moments something came alive in her mother’s eyes. Stef wanted to seize the moment, to say something that her mom would respond to but by the time the first word passed over her lips Evie was gone again. She stared at the plate of food for a few moments, then picked up her fork and began to eat.
Other than her complaining about the beans being overcooked, and a little small talk about the changing weather, the rest of their dinner was eaten in silence.
Eddie took Evie back upstairs when their meal was over and tucked her back into bed. He turned the bedside table on and gently laid the book she was reading onto her lap. Just as he was about to leave the bedroom she called out to him.
“Eddie…tell Steffanie thank you for dinner will you? That was so nice of her to come and cook for us. I wish she would come more often,” she said as a smile formed on her lips. Eddie could tell that she was truly there right then and he turned to smile at her.
“I love you Evie,” he said always grateful for these small glimpses of her as she once was.
“I love you too Eddie,” she said looking at him as though this was their normal everyday chatter.
“Tell her not to forget to pack up the leftovers. You can have them for lunch tomorrow, okay?” she added as she picked up her book.
“I’ll tell her.”
When he came back into the kitchen Stef had nearly finished cleaning up and was putting the leftovers into one of the hundreds of Tupperware bowls her mother had amassed over the years. She smiled at him and said, “you should really get rid of some of these, there’s way too many…”
“No, I won’t get rid of even one of them. You’re mother loves Tupperware,” he said.
Stef moved across the few feet that separated them and put her arms around her father.
“She said to tell you thank you for dinner and that you should come around more often.”
With those words, Stef lost it. She stood there sobbing into her dad’s chest until all her tears had spilled out. As lost as she felt without her mother, she knew it had to be nearly impossible for her father and that made her cry even harder.
Before she left that night she told him that she and Emily were planning on taking him out for his birthday the following week. One of their girlfriends had agreed to come with them so she could stay with their mother while they were out because she rarely left the house anymore with the exception of maybe a doctor’s visit.
“I can’t wait. It will be nice to have the two of you all to myself.”
“I love you Dad.”
“I love you too Princess!”
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