A Knock At My Door

I met her in a bar one night when I was on a business trip; We were both feeling lonely and had one too many sips. We spent the night together and got a little passionate; She was gone in the morning and that was the end of it. He knocked on my door as a twenty-one year old kid; Said he was the result of what two young strangers did. He handed me an envelope while standing in the door; When I read the letter stuffed inside my jaw dropped to the floor. “I took a business card from you when I slipped out in the night, Expecting that I’d look you up and thinking that I might. But as the days turned into weeks I never got the chance And then I started noticing some tightening in my pants. “I didn’t want to bother you with the news of your son; I figured I would struggle through this thing that we had done. He really was a fine young boy and has developed into a man; The news of my cancer put a damper on our plans. “If you are reading this letter, I am buried in the ground; I told him all about you and the address that I found. He may be too proud to go on a search for you, But he is a little curious so I told him he ought to.” I stared at this young man, who looked an awful lot like me; I never took on a wife; never had a family. I was happy living on my own, suffering all alone; I opened up the front door and welcomed him in my home. Now I’m the happy grandfather of three beautiful little kids; Raising this boy alone, she should be proud of what she did. Doing this job all by herself; she must have been real brave; Thirty years since that night, I’m laying flowers on her grave.