My dad has always been a man of routine. Ever since I was a kid, on Tuesday afternoon, he’d grab his old leather bowling bag, nod at me on his way out, and head to the local bowling alley. It was a tradition he and my mom started decades ago, something that bonded them over the years. Even after she passed, he never missed a Tuesday. He always said that when he was there, it felt like she was still with him, her laughter echoing in his mind as he bowled his way through the evening.
A year ago, things started to change. At first, it was small—he’d forget where he left his keys, struggle to remember a neighbor’s name, or misplace the mail. But the forgetfulness became more concerning. He’d repeat himself in conversations, forget to turn off the stove, and one day, he went to the grocery store and couldn’t find his way home. That was the day I decided to move in with him.
Working remotely made the decision easy. I wanted to be there for him, to help him through this silent battle he didn’t even fully comprehend he was fighting. I suggested we limit his outings to times when I could accompany him, but he resisted fiercely. He wasn’t a child, he reminded me, and I didn’t need to shadow him. The only place he truly insisted on going alone was the bowling alley. He claimed it was his last connection to Mom. I didn’t have the heart to argue with that.
But one afternoon, while I was deep in a project, I heard the front door close. My stomach twisted. I rushed outside just in time to see his car pulling out of the driveway. Panic surged through me. He wasn’t supposed to be driving alone anymore. Without hesitation, I grabbed my keys and followed the familiar route to the bowling alley, hoping that’s where he had gone.
When I arrived, my eyes darted across the lanes, searching for him. And then I saw him—standing near lane six, a warm, delighted smile on his face as he held hands with a woman. My breath caught in my throat. Who was she? What was happening? Had he mistaken her for someone else? Was she taking advantage of him? My mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.
I hurried over, my heart pounding.
“Dad?” I called, trying to keep my voice steady.
He turned to me, his expression soft and content. “Oh, sweetheart, I want you to meet Linda.” He gestured toward the woman beside him. She was probably in her mid-forties, with kind eyes and a warm smile.
I hesitated. “Hi, Linda.”
She gave me a small nod, seeming to sense my apprehension. “You must be his daughter. He talks about you a lot.”
I forced a smile, though my mind was still reeling. “How do you two know each other?”
Before Dad could answer, Linda spoke gently. “Your father started mistaking me for your mother a few months ago.” She glanced at him, her expression tender. “At first, I corrected him. But every time I did, I could see the disappointment in his eyes. And then one day, I realized—he wasn’t just confused. He was happy. When he looked at me, he saw someone he loved.”
I swallowed hard. “So… you just went along with it?”
She nodded. “Not entirely. I never outright lied to him, but I let him talk. I listened. I sat with him. When he wanted to bowl, I played a few rounds with him. He told me stories about their dates, their first game together, how she used to tease him when she won. I let him have those moments.”
I didn’t know what to say. A part of me wanted to be angry, to tell her she was wrong for encouraging his delusions. But another part of me saw what she was doing—offering him something I never could. She wasn’t pretending to be my mother; she was simply giving him the illusion of companionship, easing his loneliness in a way I hadn’t realized he needed.
I turned to Dad, who was watching me closely. “Dad, do you know who I am?”
He chuckled. “Of course I do, sweetheart. You’re my daughter.”
Relief washed over me, though the sting of reality lingered. He still knew me. But his world was slipping, blending past and present in ways I couldn’t control.
Linda reached out, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “I promise you, I’m not taking advantage of him. I just… I see how much he loves her. And if, for a few hours a week, he gets to feel that love again, I don’t think it’s hurting anyone.”
Tears burned at the back of my eyes. I nodded, suddenly overcome with emotion. “Thank you,” I whispered.
For the next hour, I watched as they bowled together. My dad laughed, teased Linda about her form, and even managed to score a strike. He was happy. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.
When we got home, Dad was tired but in good spirits. That night, as I tucked him in, he reached for my hand.
“You know, sweetheart,” he murmured, “I think your mother would’ve liked Linda.”
I smiled, squeezing his hand. “I think so too, Dad.”
The weeks that followed were easier. I stopped worrying so much when he went to the bowling alley. I let him have his time, his memories, his small piece of happiness. And every Tuesday, when he returned home with a lightness in his step, I silently thanked Linda for being his angel at the bowling alley.
Life isn’t always fair, and time doesn’t always give us what we want. But in those fleeting moments of joy, in the kindness of strangers, in the love that never truly fades—we find something worth holding onto.
If this story touched your heart, please like and share. Let’s spread kindness and remind each other that love, in all its forms, never truly leaves us.
