36
We spent the next hour or so sitting with my father. The nurses lifted the two-person limit so that Grand-Mère Marie, Jake, Rodeo, and my mother could sit with us.
My father’s voice was hoarse, and he limited his speaking to a few words at a time. Cognitively, he seemed to be his old self, joking around with us. He couldn’t remember anything after getting dressed for the wedding, and that made him sad.
“The important thing is that we’re married.” I pulled Conor closer. He kissed my temple.
“Yes. So happy.” My father turned to Jake with a wry smile. “You’re next.”
Jake and Rodeo had been dating for a while. And Rodeo’s daughter, Gwyneth, really liked Jake. But so far, there had been no talk of weddings.
“Tired,” my dad said after a while.
“Okay,” my mother said. “Everyone else out
