About Face

I talked to my brother and stepsister yesterday, and my dad's condition isn't as good as the positive reports of his vital signs had led me to hope. In fact, he's going into hospice care. He was due to be released from the hospital yesterday, to return home and be cared for there. He's very weak and, although breathing on his own, is unable to eat.

So, I'll be back on a plane to Florida this morning. I bought an open-ended ticket so I could schedule my return to England as needed.

Dave and I cancelled our Copenhagen trip, and British Airways very reasonably deferred our tickets so we can use them again at a future date. Unfortunately the hotel wasn't as reasonable -- we're losing the £400 we prepaid for our accommodations. We're going to try to claim it from our travel insurance.

And me? I feel numb, sad, frustrated -- and I know I have it easy compared to, say, my stepmother. It's hard to deal with a situation that is so fluid. I literally don't know what to think, feel or expect. But I think it's important for me to be with the rest of the family.

I was able to speak to my dad on the phone yesterday, to tell him I love him, and he whispered the same back to me. So that's something.

(Photo: Window reflections and our maltese cross flower.)