I drove back from St. Louis this morning at about 5:00am, after Amy called at about 4:00 to give me the bad news. It didn't really affect me as I drove back. I was mostly worried about how Amy was doing, because she's been dreading this day for years, probably as long as I've known her, and staying awake on the road.

I showed up at her Mom's house to take over Quinn responsibilities, and walked back to Ed's room. The hospital bed had already been partly disassembled. His trusty oxygen hose had been coiled up and put on the tank. The TV was off. The TV listings magazine from the Chicago Tribune, folded back to the current day's grid, with the magnifying glass nearby, wasn't there. And nobody greeted me with a hearty "Andrew!"

I sat in his now empty chair and surveyed the room. It was just not right. It looked like he had just moved out. And I guess he had.

And I thought about the last time I saw him, on Sunday...

We watched the end of the Packers game, shaking our heads as it went into overtime, and exclaiming disgust at Favre throwing the ball away to lose the game. He always loved watching football, and I always enjoyed watching it with him.

With the game over, and Quinn getting more and more cranky, it was time for the goodbye ritual. I bundled up Quinn in her coat, and carried her back to Ed's room for the start of the goodbye kisses, starting from the back of the house working forward. I carried her, tummy-down, arms out, and she squealed "I'm fwying!" We swooped in, and I put her face up to her grandpa's. He put her head in those hands of his, said "Goodnight, sweetheart" and gave her a rapid-fire series of smooches on her face. She laughed as she always does.

I said "Seeya, Ed. Quinny, say bye to Grandpa." And we went home.

After a minute or two, I got up from the chair, wiped my eyes, and went out to the living room. Glo gave me a hug and said "I know, you're gonna miss him."

I said, "Gonna?"