Kyle is leaving the hospital for the first time today with his parents Roger and Liz. It has been another week since he woke from his extended bed rest and Kyle is still weak and stiff but can manage on his own. He is numb from life and is just moves through the motions. The three of them walk out to the car and get in. The plan is to take him back to his home and take it easy for the rest of the day.
From the driver’s seat, Roger asks Liz and Kyle, “How about we stop for a coffee and donut?” Roger looks in his rear-view mirror for a reaction from Kyle, but he just looks out the window.
Liz answers, “I could go for a coffee and donut, and we can just go through the drive thru, make it quick.”
Rogers says, “Yah I think that’s what we are going to do.” They find a coffee shop and place their orders and even though Kyle has said nothing, Roger goes ahead and orders him a chocolate milk iced cappuccino and an apple fritter donut, Kyle’s favorites, and hands them back to him; Kyle quietly accepts, still saying nothing. Roger and Liz talk amongst themselves as they continue along the drive home about light topics, like the songs they are listening to, the weather and things they need to remember to do.
Kyle stares out the window as he begins to eat his donut. He is appreciative that his father ordered it for him even though he didn’t ask for it. He is still working everything out in his head; he knows that the accident was real, he knows that I, Robin am gone; he believes what he has been told, but for some reason the thought of disbelief still lingers. In the back of his mind, he can’t ignore the feeling he gets that when he gets home, Robin will be there on the couch watching television.
They are about halfway home when Kyle clears his throat. Liz and Roger stop their conversation at the sound and Roger glances in his rear-view mirror back at Kyle. Kyle looks back at the rear-view mirror into Roger’s eyes and says, “I want to see Robin.”
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Roger answers, “Sure Kyle, let’s get you home first, and we can make plans to go see her.”
Kyle snaps back at him, “No, I want to see her now.”
Liz looks over her shoulder back at Kyle and carefully she suggests, “Dear, you have been through a lot, maybe it would be best to take you home so that you can rest, and we can make plans to go tomorrow.”
Kyle’s voice erupts; “Don’t tell me what is best; I want to see my wife, now, today. Dad, turn the car around.” Roger without fighting back at his own son turns the car around.
Rogers says as calmly as possible, fearing that he may hit a note with Kyle sending him into more of a temper, “Kyle I will take you to see Robin, but please don’t be upset with us, or your mom, we are just trying to do what is best.”
Kyle is rattled by his own temper; he can go from zero to one hundred in a heartbeat, abruptly he answers, “I’m sorry, sorry Mom, I didn’t mean it.” He glances at Liz and then down to his hands.
“It’s okay dear.” Liz quietly says.
It is not long before they arrive at the graveyard, park the car, and walk down the path towards Robin’s grave. Liz tries to hold Kyle’s hand as they walk down the path, but Kyle is too distracted to realize, and Liz takes his sudden motion of his hand breaking away from hers as a rejection to her gesture.
Roger sees, stepping in and holds Liz’s hand as he leads them down the path and Kyle follows a step behind. They turn down a grassy row of small head stones arriving at one with the dirt still freshly turned. Robin’s grave is a small metal rectangle that is flat to the ground and has an urn built in, which is full of silk flowers. Kyle falls to his knees, still not wanting to believe, or let go of that lingering feeling that Robin is still alive. He reads her name and the dates marking her life. Kyle studies the urn, the flowers; he knows that he is really without his soul mate.
Roger and Liz give him some space and take a few steps back, Liz with tears in her eyes. It is still fresh for everyone. Roger silently gives her a gentle embrace as they look on at their son.
Kyle has known since he woke up in the hospital, that Robin is no longer, but in this moment, he knows it in his heart. He blinks trying to keep the tears from coming, but they manage to escape, running down his cheeks and dropping into the dirt. He speaks aloud as though he were alone with Robin, “I just wanted to see you one last time.”