After much inner debate last night, I decided to visit Gary after I finished another appointment.
When I arrived at Sunrise, there was a flood of people streaming out of Gary's Unit (called Reminiscence) headed toward the Assisted Living courtyard. They were headed to a Jazz Saxophone Concert. I ran into the Manager who said they were changing Gary and that he would be right out.
When he emerged from his bathroom in his upgraded wheelchair, he greeted me with a somewhat smile and really had no clue what we were doing. I wheeled him out to the courtyard and got settled.
We were sitting next to the make shift bar and he kept reading the wine containers aloud. I asked him to be quiet when the musician started playing but he continued. After a few moments, he realized the music and throughout the concert tapped his hands (to the beat, not like he normally does) and even sang a little. Several times at the end of a song he would comment "Beautiful. Just Beautiful."
As I sat there with him, I put my arm in his lap. He held my hand, stroked my arm and even kissed my hand a couple of times. At one point he picked up my arm and kissed it. It was very sweet.
At the end of the concert, I took him back to the living room at his Unit and said goodbye. I still don't like leaving without telling him so I have defaulted to telling him that I have to go check on Diva. He doesn't question me but really never says goodbye. I kiss him and tell him I love him and he responds in kind. It is always a bittersweet departure.
It felt like a date night......kinda cool.
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