Mother’s Day- Sunday, May 12, 2019, 9:38 a.m.
My text to Beck: “Happy Mother’s Day!”
Beck texted back: “Happy Mother’s Day love u”
Later that night, we watched “Game of Thrones” together. After a while, I got up and said, “Good night”. She stayed in the front room for a few minutes after and then went upstairs.
Monday, May 13, 2020
Christina wanted to take me out for dinner for Mother’s Day. I picked her up around 6:35. She said, “We should pick up Rebecca and take her with us.”
I said, “Yes.”
I texted Rebecca at 6:42 p.m. “We’re outside.”
She came outside and we went to the Olive Garden. We sat, talked and ate together. Christina and I sat on one side and Rebecca sat across from us at the table. She had shrimp alfredo, I think. I had lasagna. Normally, I take photos of everything and everyone. I remember thinking that I didn’t want to use my phone.
I said, “Yes” to being present.
We left the restaurant on 76th street, and Christina suggested that we pick up Tony who was working down the road at Red Robin.
I said, “Yes.”
We picked him up, and we drove. I remember thinking that I wanted to take the long way home. When it was just the four of us, and we had no money, I would put them in the car when they were little and we would just drive and listen to music.
So I drove down Layton avenue, and along the way, I saw each road that would take us home sooner, and I chose to go just a bit farther because we were together. I went towards the lake, drove down Lake Drive.
Doris Day died that day, so we played a few songs of hers. Rebecca had control of the music. She decided to play 90’s music. She said that 90’s music was the best.
We drove to Christina’s house on K.K avenue and dropped her off. I waited to watch Christina cross the street. She met up with a friend. Rebecca and I watched her talk with the friend, and I said to her, “What’s up with that?” and Beck laughed, “No.”
We then drove down Lincoln avenue. She saw a house on 23rd and Lincoln that was destroyed by fire and she was surprised to see it so.
We drove to the house and went in and sat in the front room. I played some Dave Chappelle/Charlie Murphy videos on the T.V. while she sat on the couch. She was sitting there half-watching and half-looking at her phone. We were mostly quiet. After a few videos, I got up and said, “Good night.”
This was the last night we were all together, and it was because we all said, “Yes.” We chose well. It was a night of laughter, conversation, and togetherness.
I didn’t hear any voices or see any signs that told me what to do, but there was a pull for me to drive just a bit farther down the road so we could be in the car as one unit once again.
The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I