The ultimate forgiveness
(Warning: some more tissues needed! Can forgiveness go that far? I don't know if I could, if I were the boy having grown into adulthood.)
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Hospital called me late in the evening. She is not going to pass the night.
Here I am, looking at her, so frail, shattered by years of silent remorse and prison and rehab'. Her eyes are empty, unable to fire her anger anymore, including at me. Her hands are deformed by blows she refused to let go. Grey hair, dry lips.
I come closer. She looks at me, gathers all what's left of her dying energy, puts a miserable and forgiveness-begging smile on her pallid face.
"I'm sorry." her last word.
"I loved you." my last absolution.