A Love, A Loss, and Peace XXVII

I stood in the doorway and let her have time alone with our father. She was daddy's girl her whole life, they were like two peas in a pod; I'm not mad, my mother and I are thick as thieves. I'm more like my father and my sister is more like my mother so I guess it makes sense who we gravitated towards. She just sat there in the chair staring at him and silently crying for over an hour. When she wiped the last of her tears she knelt beside dad and said good bye one last time.

I was waiting with the lady who had organized his cremation when she was finally ready to leave. This is it, no more visits or new pictures...I ran to take one last look, I never want to forget any part of him. I never told her what Trina said, we just told her that she was okay not seeing him and was fine with us taking care of everything. Here's the thing, Patty is old school about a lot of things...like respect for her father, she would have lost her marbles if she heard that phone call. Patty tried year after year to be part of Trina's life, wanting to connect and know her and her family but she finally gave up when Trina became controlling over our father and her obsession to put him in a home. I have never cared to know her...I could smell her meanness from across the street.

Erin, Patty and I left together and drove one last time through the old neighbourhood, we found the houses we grew up and the one our father was born in. I have done this drive every single time I come home, it's eerily comfortable because now I can only remember the good times. I reached into the backseat and held her hand, feeling her tears bounce off of my wrist...I have to plan the burial.