His dimples seemed to have deepened over the years, and she wanted to bite one of them right now.
"Sure. I'd love to have the company. Dad doesn't know who I am most of the time."
"Let me drive," Kyle said opening the door to his Jeep.
As they drove the ten miles to the nursing home, they chatted about changes in the area like the new pier and the coffee shop that had recently been bought by some out-of-towner. Laughter filled the car, and Jenna longed for those old days where she could laugh and enjoy life with Kyle. Oh, how she wished things had turned out differently. How she wished Kaitlyn was his daughter and she was his wife.
They pulled into the Shady Grove nursing home, and Jenna's palms started to sweat. How would her father react to Kyle? Would he remember her? Him? She never knew what to expect when she visited him. It was heartbreaking to her that he barely remembered her name sometimes.
***
"Good morning, Mrs. Watson," a woman at the front desk said as they walked through the double glass doors. Kyle would never get used to hearing people call her that. She would never be "Mrs. Watson" in his mind. At the very least, she was Miss Davis, although he'd hoped years ago she would eventually be Mrs. Parker.
"Morning, Sue. How's Daddy today?"
"Confused, sweetie. We found him in Earl's room again."
"Oh, no. They didn't fight again, did they?"
"No, we caught him in time. He's over in the day room," she said as she answered the phone.
"Earl?" Kyle asked as they walked.
"Earl is Daddy's arch nemesis in here. They are constantly at odds, and Daddy ends up in his room a lot. He sometimes gets into Earl's chocolate stash, and that usually results in a very slow paced fist fight," Jenna said with a wry smile.
"Slow, but deadly?"
"Something like that," she said laughing as they entered the day room. Kyle was shocked at the sight of her father. Bill Davis was a tall, lanky man, and he'd always been strong. As a top basketball star in high school and college, he was always fit and trim, and he still was. His hair was no longer jet black, but solid white. The years had not been kind as dementia had taken his facial expressions and mannerisms away.
Jenna crouched beside where he was sitting in a chair facing the window. "Hey, Daddy," she said kissing him on the cheek.
"Who are you?" he asked immediately. Her expression didn't change which told Kyle that she was pretty used to that reception from her father.
"Daddy, you know who I am. It's your daughter, Jenna," she said smiling.
"Oh, that's right," he said gruffly.
"I brought an old friend today," she said waving Kyle over. He walked in front of the chair as the old man looked up at him. Bill's eyes widened.
"Kyle Parker," he said softly. Jenna's eyes widened too and then filled with tears.
"You remember me, Mr. Davis?" Kyle asked with a smile.
"How could I forget you? My daughter was obsessed with you. Did you know my daughter, Miss?" he asked Jenna.
"I sure did," she said, struggling to hold back the tears.
"Tell her to come see me sometime," he said.
"How are you doing, Mr. Davis?" Kyle asked as he sat on the sofa next to the chair. Jenna turned and wiped away the stray tears that inevitably came when he didn't remember her.
"Oh, I'm fine. I'm getting out of here soon. I hurt my leg, so they have to do all their doctor stuff to fix it." Jenna shrugged at Kyle.
"How'd you hurt your leg?" Kyle asked playing along.
"Basketball, of course. Jump shot gone wrong," he said winking and smiling.
"I'm going to get your lunch ready, Daddy," Jenna said excusing herself.
"Is that your girlfriend?" Bill asked.
"No, sir. Just a friend."
"She's a pretty girl. You should ask her on a date," he said nodding his head. "Good women are hard to find."
"Yes, sir, they are."
"Listen, I'm glad I have you alone for a moment," Bill said leaning closer to Kyle.
"You are?"
"Yes. I've been meaning to tell you something, but I
"Sure. I'd love to have the company. Dad doesn't know who I am most of the time."
"Let me drive," Kyle said opening the door to his Jeep.
As they drove the ten miles to the nursing home, they chatted about changes in the area like the new pier and the coffee shop that had recently been bought by some out-of-towner. Laughter filled the car, and Jenna longed for those old days where she could laugh and enjoy life with Kyle. Oh, how she wished things had turned out differently. How she wished Kaitlyn was his daughter and she was his wife.
They pulled into the Shady Grove nursing home, and Jenna's palms started to sweat. How would her father react to Kyle? Would he remember her? Him? She never knew what to expect when she visited him. It was heartbreaking to her that he barely remembered her name sometimes.
***
"Good morning, Mrs. Watson," a woman at the front desk said as they walked through the double glass doors. Kyle would never get used to hearing people call her that. She would never be "Mrs. Watson" in his mind. At the very least, she was Miss Davis, although he'd hoped years ago she would eventually be Mrs. Parker.
"Morning, Sue. How's Daddy today?"
"Confused, sweetie. We found him in Earl's room again."
"Oh, no. They didn't fight again, did they?"
"No, we caught him in time. He's over in the day room," she said as she answered the phone.
"Earl?" Kyle asked as they walked.
"Earl is Daddy's arch nemesis in here. They are constantly at odds, and Daddy ends up in his room a lot. He sometimes gets into Earl's chocolate stash, and that usually results in a very slow paced fist fight," Jenna said with a wry smile.
"Slow, but deadly?"
"Something like that," she said laughing as they entered the day room. Kyle was shocked at the sight of her father. Bill Davis was a tall, lanky man, and he'd always been strong. As a top basketball star in high school and college, he was always fit and trim, and he still was. His hair was no longer jet black, but solid white. The years had not been kind as dementia had taken his facial expressions and mannerisms away.
Jenna crouched beside where he was sitting in a chair facing the window. "Hey, Daddy," she said kissing him on the cheek.
"Who are you?" he asked immediately. Her expression didn't change which told Kyle that she was pretty used to that reception from her father.
"Daddy, you know who I am. It's your daughter, Jenna," she said smiling.
"Oh, that's right," he said gruffly.
"I brought an old friend today," she said waving Kyle over. He walked in front of the chair as the old man looked up at him. Bill's eyes widened.
"Kyle Parker," he said softly. Jenna's eyes widened too and then filled with tears.
"You remember me, Mr. Davis?" Kyle asked with a smile.
"How could I forget you? My daughter was obsessed with you. Did you know my daughter, Miss?" he asked Jenna.
"I sure did," she said, struggling to hold back the tears.
"Tell her to come see me sometime," he said.
"How are you doing, Mr. Davis?" Kyle asked as he sat on the sofa next to the chair. Jenna turned and wiped away the stray tears that inevitably came when he didn't remember her.
"Oh, I'm fine. I'm getting out of here soon. I hurt my leg, so they have to do all their doctor stuff to fix it." Jenna shrugged at Kyle.
"How'd you hurt your leg?" Kyle asked playing along.
"Basketball, of course. Jump shot gone wrong," he said winking and smiling.
"I'm going to get your lunch ready, Daddy," Jenna said excusing herself.
"Is that your girlfriend?" Bill asked.
"No, sir. Just a friend."
"She's a pretty girl. You should ask her on a date," he said nodding his head. "Good women are hard to find."
"Yes, sir, they are."
"Listen, I'm glad I have you alone for a moment," Bill said leaning closer to Kyle.
"You are?"
"Yes. I've been meaning to tell you something, but I
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