Between2 - I'll be fine

Dad had me shut the bedroom door after mom died. Hospice came. Terry and the hospice nurse put mom in her butterfly house dress. The Funeral folks came. Melissa pulled Jeff, dad and I over to my side of the house. We probably didn’t want to see the black bag leaving. And after they were gone the bedroom door stayed shut.

The next day Dad said it smelled bad in the master bath and wanted me to put some incense or candles around. I couldn’t smell anything but obliged him. I asked him what I could do to make it better for him. He said he would like her personal things gone – her clothes, her jewelry, her dresser.

Terry and I worked all day packing up mom’s clothes for the Salvation Army. (She was right, I didn’t have to buy her anymore clothes. She had plenty. Some 5’2”, 250lb woman is going to find a great wardrobe over here.) We packed up her jewelry and the things on and in her dresser. After Terry left, while I was taking a nap, the hospice folks came for their stuff – the hospital bed, portable commode, etc.

The next day Amos came and assisted us in moving the beds all back into place. Dad was still sleeping in the study and I offered for him to just stay there, but he said no, it was time for him to get back to his own room. So the king sized bed went back to the master suite and the little twin he was using came back to the study. We were all moving in a fog.

Melissa needed to get home to work. She left Jeff with us. Jeff went through the safe with dad. They found coins he might be able to sell on eBay. We located all her drugs and put them together for the next drug recycling by the county.

I sent dad and Jeff to the store to buy new drapes for the bedroom. Mother had always had it very feminine. Dad wanted a 'man cave.' A year or so ago I bought a wolf patterned Bed-in-a-bag and put it away for later. They picked out blue curtains to go with the background on the spread. Terry suggested we make a place for dad to sit and watch TV at night after I went to bed so he would not have to sit in the living room and look at an empty chair. That has worked out really well. He says he loves his new room. We put his wolf collection in it and his man magazines.

He spent one night in the bed and then he and Jeff took off for Jeff’s house. Dad needed to get away. They asked if it was all right. 

I said sure. 

I can handle it. 

I’ll be fine. 

Just fine. 

Fine.