Anna (standard:other, 1320 words)
Author: STMissouri	Added: Aug 25 2003	Views/Reads: 3136/2124	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Story of a widowed father and his daughter raising his daughter after the death of his wife.

1 

Anna 

My wife died about four years ago.  I was devastated 

and so was my then 14 year old daughter, Jessica.  Anna was 

sick for months and months before hand.  Cancer, the doctors 

said, Ovarian.  My wife is the kind of person to not say 

anything until the last moment. 

Jess and I knew Anna was sick, but we didn't think it 

was anything as serious and Cancer.  When we found out that 

her sickness was actually cancer, it was too late.  The 

cancer spread to her lungs.  All that we could do was make 

sure that she was comfortable in her final days.  I took a 

leave of absence, through that caused an argument between 

us.  I can remember it clearly. She didn't want me to take 

the leave; she could take care of herself.  I wanted to take 

the leave because I wanted be by her side for this, more 

than anything else.  It's not as if we are hurting for 

money.  I made sure that I saved enough money in case 

anything like this (not that I expected it) ever happened. 

My insurance covered Anna's medical bills so that was taken 

care of. 

In her final days, the three of us spent all our 

available time together.  I read my girls books, played 

music, and watched home movies of the important stages of 

out lives.  Our wedding, honeymoon, Jess's birth, and most 

of her birthday parties, were all captured on video.  As we 

watch them, I can't help but think is that I hope Anna is 

still alive for Jessica's Junior high school graduation a 

month away. 

I know that Anna's illness is hurting Jessica, but I 

don't know how to breach the subject to her.  It's hard 

enough for me to deal, but she's just a child.  One 

afternoon, while Anna was sleeping, Jessica and I sat down 

in the kitchen and talked of the inevitable.  We both knew 

that Anna's going to leave us soon, but neither of us know 

when it's going to happen.  We talked of our feelings, both 

good and bad, our fears, and hopes for our future without 

Anna. 


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