In March of 2023, Walt started coughing.
He said it was the cold. Then he said it was allergies. Then he said it was nothing, Dolores, quit fussing.
By June, they’d found the spot on his lung.
He was gone nineteen months later. In the front bedroom of our house on Elm Street. With the window open, because he wanted to hear the trucks out on the highway.
I want to tell you about the last good afternoon, because I think about it more than anything else.
It was about two weeks before the end. October. The maple out front had gone red. Walt was propped up on three pillows, and I was sitting in the chair beside him, doing the crossword.
“Seven letters,” I said. “Faithful companion.”
“Dolores,” he said.
“That’s eight letters.”
He laughed. It turned into a cough. When it passed, he reached over and took my hand.
“Listen to me,” he said. “About the money.”
“Walt, not now.”
“Now. While I’ve still got the words.” He squeezed my fingers. “Hollis has it all set up. It’s yours. All of it. For as long as you live. And after that, it goes where you say it goes.”
“Where do you want it to go?”
He looked at me a long time. His eyes were watery, but they were still his.
“To whoever needs it most,” he said. “And Dolores? You’ll know who that is. You always did.”
He was asleep a minute later. I sat there holding his hand until the sun went down and the room got dark and the trucks out on Route 30 turned on their lights.
He died on a Thursday morning in January.
I was holding his hand then too.
Lila Hart is a dedicated Digital Archivist and Research Specialist with a keen eye for preserving and curating meaningful content. At TheArchivists, she specializes in organizing and managing digital archives, ensuring that valuable stories and historical moments are accessible for generations to come.
Lila earned her degree in History and Archival Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where she cultivated her passion for documenting the past and preserving cultural heritage. Her expertise lies in combining traditional archival techniques with modern digital tools, allowing her to create comprehensive and engaging collections that resonate with audiences worldwide.
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