I remember sitting next to him, trying to calm him down. He would get anxious and mumble words in-cohesively.  I tried to make words out, I would repeat what he said and he would either nod or say something else-meaning I misinterpreted what he said.

He had needed extra help and my step-mother had worn herself out taking care of him. Someone who was usually energetic and lively had become haggard and aged years over the course of several months.

The night he and my step mom arrived, I met them at Newark airport and we rented a car to take him to the care facility in Princeton.

The night he arrived, the nurse tucked him in and sang hymns to him, like a songbird singing to a wounded friend.

He had a small rook with a bed in back, a sitting room in front and a small bathroo...

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