Anton

"Let me see?" I show him the queue of texts along with the embedded photo of him smiling sweetly, his face partially obstructed by the nasal air nozzle, the smile checkmarking from within his beard. [...]I like the Ed who resembles a hermit or prophet, but it feels good to help him feel normal and touch him. For me there's never been a Freudian father transference from my father to Ed-Ed treats me more as an equal-but I do have a tenderness and respect for both men, built up through repetition of exposure and crisis, a patina of shared affection, and the loyalty with which time and the elements cover and protect our bonds. Modest, originally from a communal colony in Iowa settled by German pietists, she would have demurred or chuckled at anyone who expressed admiration for her calm industry or who offered pity for the fact she'd never ended up in the Museum of Modern Art.