Mom died in a car crash while Dad drove and survived. He grieved for a long time. Three years later, he developed Alzheimer’s and forgot even my name. On Mom’s birthday last month, he suddenly became lucid. My world fell apart when Dad said, “I need to tell you the truth. Your mom died because I…”
…looked away for one second.
His hands trembled as tears rolled down his face. “We were arguing,” he whispered. “Your mother wanted me to pull over, but I kept driving. I was angry, distracted, and I didn’t see the truck coming.”
I felt frozen in place. For years, I had believed the crash was just a terrible accident. Hearing him blame himself shattered something inside me.
Dad reached for my hand carefully, like he was afraid I’d pull away. “She told me she loved me right before it happened,” he said. “I’ve spent every day wishing I could go back.”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. The room was silent except for the ticking clock on the wall.
Then his expression changed again. The confusion returned to his eyes. “Excuse me,” he asked softly, “have you seen my wife?”
My heart broke all over again.
I smiled through tears and answered, “She loved you very much.”
