2011-09-05 - 2:33 p.m.
"Dad, can I ask you a favour?"
He nodded.
"I need you to pray for me."
He nodded again. I sighed in relief.
"Thank you." Yikes, this is hard. "Dad, I'm not a freak...right?"
He nodded. His lips trembled a little.
"And somebody wants to be with someone like me?"
He nodded again. I pressed his hand, silently begging, please, don't cry.:'-(
"I'm sorry, Daddy. I have to ask that."
Another nod. When our eyes finally met, I smiled at him. The corner of his mouth twitched a little. Was that a smile?
"I know you didn't really mean what you said back then," I told him. "I know that now. You were just angry. I know you didn't mean it."
He nodded again. His shoulders shook slightly.
"Sssh, it's okay." Suddenly I felt more terrible than ever. "I'm sorry I have let you down so many times before."
He shook his head. Was that a 'no'?
"So, are you really going to pray for me too this time?"
It took one last nod to lift off the weight of the years.
"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
I wished he'd been able to answer that. I still do.
If only he could talk again...:'-(
The Author
