The old man lay helpless on his bed. The doctors were not enthusiastic about his survival, so they let him go home. He was tired, weary of life and pain and crumbling joints. His teeth had all been pulled twenty years before. His hair had been thinning since he was in his late teens and now had deserted him completely. He coughed, gasping for air. His heart was done, his lungs were done. Most of his bodily functions had fled.
A light tapping on his door captured his attention. "Come on in," he croaked.
"Hi grandpa, how are you doing today?" his oldest granddaughter greeted him.
She had been the sunshine of his life in these, his waning years. "Hi yourself Sharon." He returned.
She came to his bedside and sat down quietly. "Can I get anything for you?" she inquired.
"No just your being here is enough for me."
Sharon was a bright young lady, a college graduate with a degree in electrical engineering. She wasn't a raving beauty but she was pretty in a country girl sort of way. She held his hand. She could feel him trembling. She knew it was part of his physical condition that caused him to shake sometimes. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"This may be it baby girl. I'm feeling really bad today and I just don't want to go on."
"Now grandpa, don't talk that way. Is there anything I can do for you?" Her soft hands caressed his arms and chest. Tears filled her eyes and dripped onto his chest. She got up and moved to the foot of the bed and started massaging his feet. "Your feet are cold grandpa," she remarked.
"Your hands feel so good on them. Could you rub my legs too?"
Sharon started rubbing his legs. She could feel his bones through the sheets and she knew he was nude underneath. She saw him smile, just a little smile, but a welcome change from his usual dour countenance.
She pulled the sheet down from his chest to his waist and rubbed his torso. She kissed his nipples and grinned as they stood up. Her kisses rained down on his entire upper body. His arms embraced her and held her to him. She felt so good! He knew he would probably die today, but he didn't care as long as his baby girl was in his arms, he would die happy.
Sharon stood up and watched him, wept for him. She also suspected that her grandpa wouldn't make it through the day.