Perhaps He Realized He Was Leaving Me Soon

Photo by Lubov' Birina on Unsplash

Maybe he realized he was leaving me soon. Maybe he suffered more pain than he let on, or more desperation as he tried to breathe. Maybe he didn’t want me to worry, so he tried not to complain. Maybe, as he lay on the living-room sofa with an oxygen mask, he wished I would spend more time by his side. Maybe his skeletal frame was only a temporary phase. Maybe we were both afraid that the other would mention the…