Chapter 5

Before her time in the hospital she had arranged for a childless friend
and her husband to take her daughter if anything should happen. This
little girl had grown up with me. She knew me and loved me. I loved her.
It was that alone that kept me agreeing that a couple, not a devastated
single man, should take care of her. She constantly questioned that
decision. I had to keep reassuring her that she was right in her decision
on where to send her daughter. They were the most difficult conversations
I've ever had with her. I'm fairly certain the conversations are almost
unique. I can't imagine there are very many single parents in the position
she was in with a boyfriend (or more?) that's been with them and their
children as long as I was with her and her daughter. Especially in the
situation where there was no biological father around to take care of the
child and the grandparents were simply not in a position to have a
pre-teen -- growing in to teen -- granddaughter full time.

She was now convinced she was going to die before too long, despite the
good prognosis the doctors gave her. This lead to great many changes. The
principle one that effected me was her decision to break off our
relationship. She never said as much, but it was clear that she meant to
protect me. She never realized it wouldn't work. I wouldn't stop loving
her, even if she did die. I couldn't. I never would. If she died, I would
be exactly as heart broken as if we had never broken up.

Continue reading Chapter 6.