Heck of a kiss

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Saturday afternoon, Josh came back into his house from visiting his sister and Dad on the ranch. Pop had been cranky, his new meds mixed with the Parkinson’s were making it hard to steer his wheelchair through the house making the walls pay the price. As a result, Liddy had rearranged every room to cover the dents in the dry wall, and Pop had never liked change. He had Josh sit and talk with him all afternoon while the news played on the TV in the background.

On his way out the door Liddy had come in, her arms laden with groceries, her curly blond hair stuffed back in a frizzy ponytail. Dropping the bags on the table she had turned to give Josh a hug squeezing him tight before letting go and smiling at him.

“Thanks for coming over, Dads’ missed you, and so have the kids.”

Josh looked around the kitchen. “Speaking of, where are they?”

His question was answered by the screen door being flung open and Liddy’s three kids rushing in. Marilyn was first, trying to mask her excitement at seeing her uncle by walking sedately but when Josh turned and smiled at her, her maturity fled and she ran to him flinging herself into his waiting arms.

“Oh I missed you Uncle Josh!”

Tucking his chin between her shoulder and his neck to prevent himself from being choked, Josh returned her hug. “I missed you too Mari.”

Jumping up and down beside him, Liddy’s second son Hunter waited impatiently for Josh to put his sister down so Josh could give him a hug too.

Toddling in behind Hunter was Aiden, his balance still slightly off but his chin set in determination as he staggered his way over to Josh who was squatting down waiting for Aiden to toddle over.

“Nuttle Joth!” Aiden threw chubby arms around Josh’s neck and Josh hugged him back, standing up with Aiden still hanging on his neck. Marilyn had regained her maturity and was now helping her mother put away the groceries. When everything was stashed away, Marilyn clambered to the table and eyes wide with innocence, asked her mother if Grandpa needed his cookie. 

“Your Grandpa can’t have cookies, but here, bring him some water and then I’ll see about a cookie as your reward.”

Marilyn jumped down from the chair taking the cup from Liddy and carefully walking into the living room to deliver it to her Grandfather.

Upon her return Liddy handed all the kids a cookie and the little munchkins disappeared into the back of the house. Offering Josh a cookie, Liddy smiled and took a seat at the table.

“It’s been awhile, how are things?”

Josh sat across from her biting into the chewy cookie. “Good, how are things here.”

Somewhat robotically, Liddy nodded before shrugging. “There good, but I don’t know how long that will last. Daddy is fading, I don’t know how fast but, I hear him talking sometimes, he’s talking to Mom.”

Josh looked through the kitchen doorway into the living room staring at his father sleeping in the recliner. “How long do you think he has?”

Liddy took a cookie from the container and bit it chewing thoughtfully. “I don’t know, he seems pretty set on staying here some days, but others he seems to just want to go. I’ve called his doctor, and I think I want to see about putting him in home hospice.”

 “Is that what he wants?”

Brushing a stray hair out of her face, Liddy leaned her chin on her hand and studied her father. “It’s what he’s wanted for a long time.”