The Zoo
By Rae Meadows
Twice a year my boyfriend goes to visit his father.
“It’s not going to be fun or anything,” John says over our shared crème brulee.
This is the first time he has invited me to join him. I can’t stop smiling. I feel like he is letting me in, a ratcheting up of our relationship.
“I can’t wait to get to know your dad,” I say.
“You’ll be waiting a long time,” he says.
“Such a pessimist,” I say, feeding him the last spoonful of custard.
John’s father used to be the CFO of a pharmaceutical company. Now he lives in a nursing home and plays solitaire for six hours a day. He has Alzheimer’s.
“Hey, I have an idea,” I say.
John squints at me but smiles despite himself. He waits.
©2007 Rae Meadows. All rights reserved.
