“Dr. Jack Kincaid administered a sedative to his wife, while his daughter and son-in-law said good-bye to him.
He was flat on his back in bed. His skin was so pale that it seemed translucent.
“Daddy?”
“Is that you, DeDe?”
“It’s me and Beauchamp.”
“Oh.”
“We have a surprise for you, Daddy.”
Beauchamp flashed an uneasy glance at his wife. DeDe glared back at him, then turned and knelt at her father’s bedside.
“Daddy … we’re going to make you a grandfather.”
Silence.
“Did you hear me, Daddy?”
Edgar smiled. “I heard.”
“Aren’t you glad?”
He lifted his hand feebly. “Could you … show me?”
“She’s so small.” DeDe stood up, taking his hand, pressing it gently against her belly. “I don’t think you can feel…”
“No. I can feel her. You think it’s a girl, huh?”
“Yes.”
“So do I. Have you picked out a name yet?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Name her Anna, will you?”
“Anna?”
“I’ve … always liked the name.”
Smiling again, he kept his hand pressed against the warm new life. “Hello, Anna,” he said. “How the hell are you?”
Excerpt From: Armistead Maupin. “Tales of the City.”
Thanks for the memories, Donald Moffat (Edgar Halcyon)
