My father and his wife had a hard time getting together for a long time. It looked like they would never be able to until he was put into a coma. When he finally woke up, he told us something shocking he had learned about her that would change the way each of our lives would go from then on.
We were finally able to spend the day we had been looking forward to. About a year ago, my dad passed out and finally woke up. It was the tiniest smile on his lips when he grinned, and his eyebrows moved like a butterfly that had just landed after a storm. I was happy and relieved, but I didnโt know that my happiness would only last for a short time.
It felt like months had passed since I last felt like I could breathe. Having my dad back really helped. When that moment came around, I was excited for a long time. It was almost strange to see him awake after what seemed like a long time.
When the doctors told my family and me that he seemed to be getting better, we started going to see him more often. This led to us seeing him more often.
Everyone who was there on that terrible day squished into a hospital room that was already full. My mom was holding on to his hand like she was counting on it to stay alive. Leah, my wife, was standing by the window taking care of Emily, our younger daughter. She was our youngest child.
My brother Jared was lying against the wall on the other side of the room. He had his arms crossed and wasnโt smiling like he usually does. The environment was much livelier because the bright colors of the flowers we brought stood out so much against the clean white walls. In one part of the room, balloons float happily.
I spoke softly, โDad,โ as I sank down toward his bed. โAre you able to hear me?โ What emotions are you having at the moment?
Thatโs when he takes a quick look at me and then turns his attention to me. His eyes were really happy, even though he wasnโt smiling and didnโt look like he was in great health.
He finally spoke, but his voice was weak and rough at the same time.
โLike I have been on the longest nap of my life.โ
That worried laugh could be heard all over the room. My mom kept telling him, โYouโre back,โ while sniffling and stroking his hand. What Iโm hearing doesnโt seem real.
โHow was it, Dad?โ I asked, trying to make things more fun. then gave him a drink of water. He was also given some water by her. Did you dream, or did you just wake up in a world that was always dark?
That was the exact moment when Dadโs face changed. He got eyes that were more intense and sharp. That man seemed to want to say something to us, but he wasnโt sure if we were ready.
โSon,โ he answered, and even though he was trying to hold back his emotions, his voice went steady.
โIt was not just a question of dreams and sleep.โ โI heard everything,โ he said, saying each word slowly as he worked to get his voice back.
Over time, the air in the room became still. Emily was standing next to the window when Leahโs arms began to squeeze her. As soon as Jared pushed himself off the wall, he knew he was in trouble.
I was shocked and confused as a knot formed in my stomach, so I asked, โWhat do you mean, Dad?โ even though my stomach hurt.
โI mean I heard every word spoken in this room and everything that happened,โ he said. โEvery whisper, every conversation.โ I wasnโt not there at the time.
Everyone in the room started to groan when they heard what they heard.
We were shocked at how quickly we started to feel uncomfortable and nervous. When Mom looked at him, her face showed that she was both relieved and worried at the same time.
โJack,โ she asked softly, โare you sure?โ When people initially wake up, they could periodically feel confusedโโฆ
As he spoke, โI am certain, Mary,โ his voice made it impossible for anyone to question him. โAnd I have to communicate something.โ Everyone in this room needs to talk to each other in order to understand and learn.
He changed the focus of his eyes and looked straight at Leah. She didnโt know what to do when he looked at her.
When he talked to me, he was being exact. โThere is something about your wife,โ he said. โSheโs not what you think she is.โ
It looks like Leahโs face has lost its color.
It was hard to tell when Jared briefly looked at her and then moved his attention to something else because his face was so blank. It felt like there was a knot in my belly.
โWhat would you mean?โ I could ask, but the other person didnโt seem to hear me very well.
The father let out a long sigh, as if the thought of what was about to be said was almost too much to bear.
โShe has visited this place before, my son.โ Still, not with you. She showed up with Jared.
It felt like the ground had gone under my feet.
Is it Jared or Leah? All together? My mind was spinning with the idea, and my eyes kept moving back and forth between them. My brother looked like he was in pain as he touched the back of his neck. My wifeโs lips were open like she was going to say something, but she didnโt.
I asked him, โDad, are you sure about this?โ with a little shaking in my voice.
Dad simply said, โThey sounded uncomfortable and were not happy,โ ignoring my inquiries. โThey lacked satisfaction.โ
โThey persisted even though their quiet was as uncomfortable as it could be.โ โWhat are they doing together all here?โ I didnโt know what to do, but I thought they might fight. But Jared made a joke about how your mom burned the pie for the first time ever on Thanksgiving the year before. Your wife and sister both loved how funny it was when they found out that your mother wasnโt as perfect as they thought.
โLeah laughed, not politely but rather really laughed!โ
Mom smiled, and her cheeks turned pink, but no one else seemed to find what was going on funny. Everyoneโs attention was on Jared and Leah alone.
When I turned to face my wife, my voice got sterner.
โis this accurate?โ Getting to this site with Jared, are you?
Over time, Leah learned to recognize her own voice. โI can explainโฆโ
โExplain what?โ I asked because I was getting really angry.
Jared ended the conversation in a way that seemed very strict. He replied, โI will explain further.โ He moved closer, looked at Leah for a moment, and then back at me.
โShe wanted to see her father, but she was unsure about how to behave in his company following their several arguments.โ I told her I would drive with her since I was in town. Thatโs the end of the subject.
Thatโs it? โAgain,โ I said, sounding a little suspicious in my voice.
Leah kept going with a weak but determined voice.
โI wanted not to make things worse for you.โ Iโve never had a good relationship with your dad, so I thought that if I came here by myself, I could try to make things better. I will leave if Iโm not needed; Jared was just helping me.
When Dad cleared his throat, we looked at him right away.
โDonโt you dare move, young lady, thatโs not the end of it, thatโs just the beginning,โ he said.
โLeah came back at ease around me and encouraged to be herself by your brother.โ Since I couldnโt talk to anyone else, I kept coming back. At first, I wasnโt sure how to go about figuring it out. While she was there, she stayed by my side and talked to me.
She talked about you and your kids. She told some really funny stories. One was about when you tried to convince everyone that wearing shoes that donโt go together to work was just a trend.
That made everyone around me laugh.
The more I thought about what had happened, the worse I felt. I couldnโt even muster a quick smile. Leah had been making fun of me about that for weeks.
โShe read sports magazines for me because she knew I loved them,โ Dad said. โShe understood I loved sports passionately.โ โTold me about how much she hated the local football team but watched their games with you nevertheless because it made you happy.โ
โLeah shared her personal life, but I will not share it.โ She even said she was sorry for the fights we had had up until then. You know about that too? Because of that, I laughed. Itโs funny that someone said that.
โYour wife showed me a side to her that I never knew, a side that I would have been too stubborn to seeโฆโ my dad said next.
In a whisper, Leah said, โI just wanted him to come back to you guys.โ Her eyes got darker as she spoke. Even though I know that life is short, I am motivated to fix our relationship before itโs too late.
A quick look at her helped me understand what she had said before I spoke. For years, she and my dad had been fighting because their characters didnโt get along. Still, when I learned about her trips, I realized she had been trying to bring people together and close the gaps between them.
Jared cleared out the blockage in the throat. She was here for you, sir. In terms of the family. You already know that Dad can be finicky. That was what she wanted to start with.
It was hard for Dad to nod the whole time because his strength was starting to fade again.
My son told me that she is a sweet woman. At first, I didnโt understand how much she had done.
She cried when she went up to him right now.
And she said, โThank you,โ barely raising her voice above a whisper.
She got down on one knee and gave him a soft hug. It was the first time my dad returned the hug.
The mood in the room started to become friendlier as the stress began to melt away.
Over many years, my family has only seen Leahโs quiet and hidden side. She was the one who always had the most trouble fitting in. But I still loved her because my dad was slowly realizing that she had a caring side.
The mom was rubbing her eyes while her lips turned in a small smile. Jaredโs answer, which seemed to say โSee?โ with a lot of information, was clear. It made me cry when I heard โShe is one of us.โ
Over the next few weeks, Dad continued to fully heal, and things started to get better for our family in ways I never would have thought possible. Leah got to know everyone well by telling them stories, making them laugh, and remembering things that had happened in the past. As soon as my dad learned something new about her, he became one of her biggest fans.
When all was said and done, Dadโs statement wasnโt about betrayal. Most of the talk was about second chances and getting along. We found out that we were missing something big in that hospital room that we hadnโt seen before: each other. Balloons and flower arrangements were used to decorate the room.
