I began crying.
That watch was his most treasured possession.
“But why, Robert?”
He took my hands.
“Because every evening, I watch you smile at our grandchildren without being able to hear what they’re saying. When they tell you, ‘Grandma, we love you,’ you simply nod. And then, after they leave, you ask me, ‘What did the children say?'”
His voice broke.
“I can’t give us our youth back, Margaret. But if there’s even a chance, I want you to hear the voices of the people you love again.”
I didn’t immediately agree to the surgery that day.
We had a long conversation with the doctor.
He explained the potential benefits, the risks, and the fact that success wasn’t guaranteed.
Two weeks later, I made the decision myself to undergo the procedure.
The surgery went well, but my hearing didn’t return immediately.
Several weeks later, the day finally arrived when the device would be activated for the first time.
