The ultimate test

So this is how it happens, Linda thought one night not long ago: She had come into the den to awaken Tommy, and he would not for anything be roused.

He’d had a stroke; she was sure of it. Her heart raced as she reached for the phone.Linda Rhodes undresses her husband, Tommy, before bedtime on Christmas Eve. (Click image to enlarge)

She stopped, remembering the DNR and the promise she had made to the kids, to herself.

She sat next to Tommy and held his hand. She prayed. Images of their life together sped past her.

It surprised her how calm she felt. She wondered why she wasn’t crying.

So it went for 20 minutes, maybe 30. And then Tommy Rhodes awakened as he normally does: not quite sure where he was or how he’d gotten there.

Who was this woman sitting next to him? Was she his sister, his daughter, his wife? He couldn’t say.

But he was certain that she loved him.

With the innocence of a child, he followed Linda as she led him up the stairs, squeezed the toothpaste onto his toothbrush and bid his imaginary visitors goodnight and godspeed.

It was close to midnight, and together the couple drifted easily into sleep.


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