courage. She hadn't expected to feel so overwhelmed with sadness, but she was glad Chris was here. Slowly, she approached with Stephen and Chris.
"Hello, Papa, remember me? Stephen?" he began.
Their father turned his gaze on Stephen, but his stare was empty. Stephen pointed. "This is Famke – your daughter."
A spark appeared in his eyes. " Irene?"
"No, Famke," she said, putting on a brave face. Irene had been her mother's name.
"Yes, yes – Famke." He raised his hand. "You went to America – to ice skate."
"I'm back now, Papa." She reached out and embraced him. He returned the gesture, but she noted his arms were weak.
"Do you still skate?"
"Yes. I'm a pairs skater with Chris."
Her father smiled. " Stephen's friend. He's a good boy."
Famke sat down next to her father and removed the wooden clogs she'd bought for him from her backpack. "Guess what happens tonight?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure."
" Sinterklaas is coming. I brought you a pair of clogs to put out."
He reached out and took them from her. "They're beautiful. Where do I put them?"
"By your door."
"Let's go." He held up the clogs and Chris grabbed them.
Stephen helped him to his feet and grasped his arm. Famke walked on the other side of the father.
"How's that coach of yours? What's her name? Ingrid?"
Famke's eyes moistened. " Yes, Ingrid. She passed away."
"Oh, I'm sorry. She was a good teacher. She believed in you."
Famke drew on her willpower not to cry. Her father's voice wasn't as strong as she recalled.
Stephen paused next to a door with her father's name. "We're here."
Her father smiled. "I remember when I was young, Sinterklaas used to leave me these little chocolate balls called Mozart Kugel. I liked them a lot."
"I love those, too," said Chris. He handed Famke's father his shoes back. The older man bent down and placed them next to his door.
Famke pursed her lips, trying to hold back her tears.
"Help me get into my pajamas, Stephen." He paused. "Good night, Famke."
She hugged him. "Good night, Papa. I love you."
He patted her back before he stepped away. Stephen and Chris escorted him into the room and closed the door. Famke opened her backpack and stuffed the clogs, adding a Mozart Kugel. She leaned against the wall. Unable to contain her tears, they flowed down her cheeks.
No, she needed to be strong for her father – just like he had been strong for her when she was a little girl. She pulled out a tissue from her pocket and dried her eyes.
Stephen and Chris stepped out and closed the door behind them.
"He's very excited about Sinterklaas ' visit," said Stephen.
Famke wrapped her arms around her brother needing to feel his support.
"He's okay," Stephen offered reassuringly. "He remembered me after he saw you."
She pulled away. "He's not himself. I didn't expect it would affect me like this."
"I know," said Stephen.
Chris placed his hand in the small of her back. "He was delighted to see you."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Do you think he knows that we love him?"
"Most definitely," replied Chris.
Stephen offered her a kind smile. "The first time is hard. It gets a little easier. He may not remember, but I think you were right in that he'll recall the feelings we invoked tonight."
"Thank you," she said.
Chris stayed close to Famke as they left the facility and his presence helped to steady her. For the first time since her arrival, her body felt weary down to her bones. Thank goodness, she had Stephen – and Chris.
Chapter Seven
Famke walked into her apartment and went right to the kitchen.
"Are you making some tea?" Stephen sat at the table.
"Yeah. I need to unwind a little before going to bed."
"Make some for all of us. Chris will be here shortly."
She remained silent and began to heat the water.
Stephen pointed to the door. "I'm going to change."
Famke went about her chore. Since they were going to exchange clogs tonight, Chris was going to sleep on their couch.
What was she going
"Hello, Papa, remember me? Stephen?" he began.
Their father turned his gaze on Stephen, but his stare was empty. Stephen pointed. "This is Famke – your daughter."
A spark appeared in his eyes. " Irene?"
"No, Famke," she said, putting on a brave face. Irene had been her mother's name.
"Yes, yes – Famke." He raised his hand. "You went to America – to ice skate."
"I'm back now, Papa." She reached out and embraced him. He returned the gesture, but she noted his arms were weak.
"Do you still skate?"
"Yes. I'm a pairs skater with Chris."
Her father smiled. " Stephen's friend. He's a good boy."
Famke sat down next to her father and removed the wooden clogs she'd bought for him from her backpack. "Guess what happens tonight?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure."
" Sinterklaas is coming. I brought you a pair of clogs to put out."
He reached out and took them from her. "They're beautiful. Where do I put them?"
"By your door."
"Let's go." He held up the clogs and Chris grabbed them.
Stephen helped him to his feet and grasped his arm. Famke walked on the other side of the father.
"How's that coach of yours? What's her name? Ingrid?"
Famke's eyes moistened. " Yes, Ingrid. She passed away."
"Oh, I'm sorry. She was a good teacher. She believed in you."
Famke drew on her willpower not to cry. Her father's voice wasn't as strong as she recalled.
Stephen paused next to a door with her father's name. "We're here."
Her father smiled. "I remember when I was young, Sinterklaas used to leave me these little chocolate balls called Mozart Kugel. I liked them a lot."
"I love those, too," said Chris. He handed Famke's father his shoes back. The older man bent down and placed them next to his door.
Famke pursed her lips, trying to hold back her tears.
"Help me get into my pajamas, Stephen." He paused. "Good night, Famke."
She hugged him. "Good night, Papa. I love you."
He patted her back before he stepped away. Stephen and Chris escorted him into the room and closed the door. Famke opened her backpack and stuffed the clogs, adding a Mozart Kugel. She leaned against the wall. Unable to contain her tears, they flowed down her cheeks.
No, she needed to be strong for her father – just like he had been strong for her when she was a little girl. She pulled out a tissue from her pocket and dried her eyes.
Stephen and Chris stepped out and closed the door behind them.
"He's very excited about Sinterklaas ' visit," said Stephen.
Famke wrapped her arms around her brother needing to feel his support.
"He's okay," Stephen offered reassuringly. "He remembered me after he saw you."
She pulled away. "He's not himself. I didn't expect it would affect me like this."
"I know," said Stephen.
Chris placed his hand in the small of her back. "He was delighted to see you."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Do you think he knows that we love him?"
"Most definitely," replied Chris.
Stephen offered her a kind smile. "The first time is hard. It gets a little easier. He may not remember, but I think you were right in that he'll recall the feelings we invoked tonight."
"Thank you," she said.
Chris stayed close to Famke as they left the facility and his presence helped to steady her. For the first time since her arrival, her body felt weary down to her bones. Thank goodness, she had Stephen – and Chris.
Chapter Seven
Famke walked into her apartment and went right to the kitchen.
"Are you making some tea?" Stephen sat at the table.
"Yeah. I need to unwind a little before going to bed."
"Make some for all of us. Chris will be here shortly."
She remained silent and began to heat the water.
Stephen pointed to the door. "I'm going to change."
Famke went about her chore. Since they were going to exchange clogs tonight, Chris was going to sleep on their couch.
What was she going
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