“Goodbye,” Joanna whispered with a quiet sob.
She’d spent her lifetime trying to satisfy this man, who despite being her father, was a stranger.
Joanna thought back to other goodbyes. Her sixth birthday, when he’d split with her mother. The dozen or so times he’d bothered visiting her after the divorce. Her wedding day when he’d left for the pub after giving her away, rather than attend her reception.
As the heart monitor alarm rang, she wondered which goodbye had been most painful. And then, realizing it wasn’t this one, she left the room feeling slightly guilty, yet somehow at peace.
A potent, human tale told sparingly, plainly. Well done!
Godó, East anda deep
I wondered for a moment whose heart monitor it was (one tends to expect a twist in these shorties) but the obvious was avoided and I found the ending satisfying.
Excellent story. I will soon have to say goodbye to a relative, and it won’t be the hardest of my life. So this comes at a perfect time for me.
A well told story of pain, disappointment and sadness done with an economy of words.
So well but simply told – years crammed into a moment.
So well done! Lots of emotion, strong heart of the story. Ending is bittersweet and powerful!
The pain comes through nicely. Well done!
Really well written and I love the last line.
Great writing. The honesty of this story, touched me!
Dang. This freakin’ phrase: “realizing it wasn’t this one”… SO GOOD! Really strong work! Thanks for sharing.
This was a ‘coup de force’ telling so much and showing the results of a life-time in so little space. Bravo.
Well done! I can relate to Joanna. No sentimentality of the Hollywood deathbed apologies. We die as we’ve lived and to me Joanna cried for what will never be. Thx!