For nigh on fifty years, his goofy grin has been a joy, even if his inane jokes make me groan. But now there is only an aching void.
The cancer took him quickly. By the time I returned from an overseas holiday, he was already refusing visitors. Even me.
And no matter how hard I try, I just can't remember when I last saw him. Not because it was so long ago, but just because it was so damned routine. If only we'd known. If only he'd told me.