His eyes light up

His eyes light up when he sees me.
He smiles, welcoming me into his space.
He nods his head and says "yes".

With that, I become his little girl again.
(Even though he cannot find my name in the chaos of his mind.)

I tell him I love him.
He repeats what I say, but makes the words his own.

He closes his eyes, a smile still on his face.
When he opens them again, he looks for me.
And I am lucky enough to be there.

...

I crawl into the empty side of the bed.
The side that was, that is, my dad's.
I feel mom reach for me.
Her eyes open. She says, "there you are. I was waiting for you."

With that, I become her little girl again.
(And the empty space is filled for a moment.)

I thank her for taking such good care of dad.
She says simply, "I love him"
honoring who he was and who he continues to be.

This time I am the one who closes my eyes, smiling.
"Yes."