21. Yesterday
Yesterday had been a good day.
Yesterday had been a great day, the best day.
Today was a bad day. The worst day. Today was the killer.
oooOOOooo
Yesterday there had been smiles and kisses. Yesterday 87-year-old Reyna Valdez had hugged her husband tightly, vowing if she could she would never let go.
Yesterday there had been recognition.
The children and the grandchildren had come to visit them and Reyna had held Leo's hand and smiled at them, kissing their daughter's cheek, holding their two boys' hands. And the grandchildren- six little kids swarming around them, climbing on old laps and hugging thin, shaking frames of their grandparents.
Yesterday had been a good day. Yesterday Reyna had kissed him soundly on the mouth more times than she had in the past month.
Yesterday Leo had been afraid to leave her to go to sleep, because he knew Yesterday couldn't last forever.
He had been right.
oooOOOooo
Today was a bad day.
Today Reyna's dementia was at full force, attacking every weak chink in her armor, breaking down her walls like they were made of nothing more than paper.
Today was Reyna's birthday and Reyna didn't wear the ring her husband had made for her 59 years ago for their wedding day because she didn't remember she'd ever had a wedding day or a husband.
Today Leo left her a present anonymously because Reyna didn't know who he was.
Today was a bad day; but yesterday had been a great one, so Leo didn't give up.
Maybe Tomorrow would be better than Today. Maybe Tomorrow would be even better than Yesterday.
There was always a Tomorrow. Leo looked forward to the Tomorrow's.
And he never forgot the Yesterday's.