46 seconds

“I miss you Dad”

“I miss you too buddy. I wasn’t expecting you for a while.“

“I know,“ I said, “they lost me.”

He smiled that goofy, cock-eyed grin I miss so much. “Not for long, you’ll be headed back. You’re not supposed to be here yet.”

“How do you know?”

”You won’t understand how I know. Just trust that I know.”

I did Trust him. I always have.

“I wish you could’ve known my kids.“ I said “They’re adults now, but they missed having a grandpa. Or I just missed you for them.“ He said nothing, he just listened, he was a good listener. “I was such a screw up as a kid, I just want you to know, I made some pretty great people. I accomplished that at least. You would be proud.”

His eyes softened like they always did when he was speaking from the heart. You could tell when he was touched by something you said. He was never hammy about his emotions. But his eyes would lose their hard, scrutinizing edge and his voice would soften to a velvet tone.

“I was always proud of you. You didn’t have to accomplish anything for that.”

We both waited for each other to talk.

“Can you tell me when we’ll meet again?” I asked.

“No.”

“You can’t tell, or you won’t?”

“I don’t know and if I did, would you really want to know?”

He had a way of saying things that me actually think about them, not just respond.

“I don’t know.” I replied.

He was starting to pull back - or I was.

“That’s it? That’s all the time I get with you?” I was moving away from him, back down the tunnel.

Yes.” He said with a comforting tone. “But we’ll meet again buddy, you can count on that.” He smiled.

I had wished then, and not for the first time, that I’d spent more time with him when he was around. That’s the way it always went with me. I take time for granted until it runs out. Then I wish I had more.

“I wish I would have told you this you were around, but if I could have chosen my father, I would have chosen you.”

His eyes got that look again. Velvet.

“For the record, I would have chosen you to son.”

I was pulled rapidly through the passage and I heard distant voices become louder. The tunnel faded to black and I opened my eyes.

Behind the mask, I could see the doctors eyes fill with triumph . He looked down at me with smiling eyes.

“We got him back.” He said.