Page 101 of Rough

“I love you, Pop,” I said softly.

His eyes opened slightly.

He smiled a faint smile and moved his hand.

“I’m here, Pop. Tegan and mom went to get coffee. They’ll be right back.”

He nodded slightly and curled his finger toward his palm. I moved to the head of the bed and leaned over him. “What is it, Pop.”

He closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and spoke in a faint whisper. “I need to tell you something.”

I leaned over him, placing my ear close to his mouth.

He swallowed a few times. “Ice.”

I grabbed the Styrofoam cup from the bedside table, fished out a few chips of ice, and dropped them in his mouth.

He blinked his eyes.

After swallowing, he spoke softly. “I told you the two most memorable moments in a man’s life.”

I nodded. “When a man kisses the woman he’s going to marry for the first time, and then when he marries her.”

He blinked his eyes.

“I want to tell you the third most memorable,” he said, his voice faint and dry.

Don’t leave me, Pop.

Not yet.

I bit into my lower lip, nodded, and leaned over him.

“Third most memorable moment,” he whispered. “Is when that man and that woman give birth to a child.” With frail fingers, he squeezed my hand. “I love you, Son.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Or tried to, at least.

I fought away the tears. “I love you, Pop.”

He blinked. And, then, again.

His eyes fell closed.

“Pop?” I gently patted his shoulder. “Stay with me. Mom and Tegan are gonna be right back.”

He opened his eyes.

“You dip-shit,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got an anniversary coming up.”

A sigh shot from my lungs.

Thank God.

If nothing else, he still had his attitude.

I cleared my throat. “Doctor said you had another heart attack. They might want to do another ablation. Said it could--”

“These doctors are dumbfucks,” he said. “Not one of these pricks could find his ass with both hands.”