The corners of my mouth tugged in a grin as I turned to head out the way I’d come. I may, or may not, have even been tiptoeing.
My great escape was foiled when I heard Gladys shout from across the room. “Sadie! Did you see the new doctor we have? He’s hot and single. I checked for you.”
After riding out the wave of disappointment that washed over my body, I pasted a smile back on my face, turned around and waved at her as she walked toward me. “Nope. I haven’t met him. Did you get a new haircut?” I asked a question I already knew the answer to in hopes of changing the subject.
“I did!” she beamed.
“You look beautiful. Ten years younger.”
“Maggie, I didn’t think you were coming. Sit, you’re late.” Mr. Harris waved me over.
Mr. Harris lost his wife over a decade ago but he suffered from dementia. Half the time when he saw me, he knew exactly who I was and was sharp as a tack. But the other half of the time, when he saw me, he saw his late wife, Margaret.
When I was growing up, we’d had a neighbor named Richard who’d suffered from early-onset Alzheimer’s. His wife, Helen, explained to me that she found the best thing to do was just enter into their world, like you would when you played make-believe as a child. So, that’s exactly what I’d done with him and that was what I did with Mr. Harris.
When Mr. Harris told me about something one of the kids had done that day that was great, I would celebrate with him.
When he told me that our water heater had gone out and we were going to have to dip into our vacation savings and put off going to Greece for another year, I commiserated with him.
When he asked me to dance to “our song” even though no music was playing, I placed my hand in his and let him lead me around the room.
The staff always commented on how sweet I was, or how good I was with him. But I wasn’t the hero in this relationship. It was a heartbreaking disease and anything I could do to make his days brighter, I was honored.
“Coming.” I smiled.
“My love.” His face lit up with recognition and he reached out his arms to me and I bent down and hugged him.
I could feel the relief in his entire body as he embraced me.
It looked like The Bachelor, the wine, the couch, Eeyore and Achoo were going to have to wait.
