Page 74 of Maverick

“Good morning, Dad.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and moved aside for him to get his.

“Did you get any sleep?”

“A little. How’s Mom doing?”

Her father sighed as he made his coffee. Once it was done, he picked up the cup and sat at the table.

“She’s trying to be brave, but she’s a wreck. That woman is one of the strongest people I know, but this is killing her. You know how close she is to her father.”

“I do,” Parker said in a whisper.

“So, tell me about this man your mother mentioned.”

“Maverick. I love him, Daddy.”

“Yeah, that’s what your mother said. Is he good to you?”

“Yes. He’s wonderful,” Parker said with a smile.

“I’m happy for you. You deserve a good man.”

“He is.”

“Good. I can’t wait to meet him. Well, I need to head to the office to get some work done. If you need me, you know where to find me.” He stood, kissed the top of her head, then made his way to his home office. He’d been a real estate broker for years and made good money at it. He had several agents working for him.

Parker sat at the kitchen table, her hands gripping her cup tightly as she struggled to hold back tears. She knew it wouldn’t be long before her grandfather passed away and the thought tore her apart. With a deep breath, she pushed back her chair, making it screech across the tile floor, and then she stood and rinsed her cup in the sink before making her way down the hallway to her grandfather’s room. As she approached, she saw her mother standing outside the door, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Parker walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her, just as her mother had always done for her.

“I was going to go in to see him, but I just can’t bring myself to do it yet.” Her mother’s voice trembled.

“I know, Mom. I’m so sorry.”

“I know you’ll miss him too, honey.”

“I will. Do you want me to go in with you?”

“For support, you mean?” Her mother offered a small smile.

“Absolutely.”

With one last deep breath, her mother slowly opened the door, and they entered the room together. A small smile graced both their faces as they saw him smiling up at them.

“My two favorite girls,” he said affectionately.

Parker made her way around the bed and settled into the chair beside him, while her mother took the one on the opposite side. Parker reached for his hand and held it gently.

“How are you feeling today, Dad?” her mother asked softly.

“I feel good today, honey.”

Parker watched as tears welled up in her mother’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she smiled bravely at her father.

“That’s wonderful to hear. Are you watching a movie?”

“I can’t seem to find anything worth watching these days. So many channels but nothing good on,” he grumbled playfully.

Parker couldn’t help but laugh. “I agree with you there, Pops.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until her mother excused herself from the room. Parker knew it was hard for her to watch her father slowly slip away. She reached out and squeezed his hand.

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