His wife lie semi-comatose in bed at the hospice
for the dying, unable now to respond to him.
Early that morning, he was her first visitor of the
day. As he spoke to her, she would occasionally
open her eyes halfway and without as much as a
whimper, close them once again.
With her mouth half opened, he noticed that her
dentures were missing. The night nurse must have
removed them, possibly to help her breathe easier.
He knew how conscientious she was about anyone
including him seeing her without her teeth. He went
into the bathroom and found the dentures on the
bathroom shelf over the sink.
Even in her semi-conscious state and on her death bed,
he knew how embarrassed she would be to be seen
without her teeth. One last wish, her husband figured,
had she been able to have one final vestige of her vanity
it would be to be remembered with her complete set
of teeth. Plastic or the enameled originals was of no
consequence anymore.
She opened her eyes halfway as her husband gently positioned
the uppers then the lowers. Without a whisper of gratitude or
regret, he knew that she knew as she peacefully closed her eyes
again. And for the very last time, she was whole once again.
-30-
Chris Hanch 10-29-2022
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