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We did not dance together after that night.
那一晚之后，我们就没再一起跳过舞了。
I found other partner, and my father waited up for me after dances, sitting in his favorite chair.
我找到了另一个舞伴，我的父亲坐在他最喜欢的椅子上等我跳完舞。
Sometimes he would be asleep when I came in, and I would wake him, saying,
有时我进来的时候，他正在睡觉，我就把他叫醒，对他说，
"If you were so tired, you should have gone to bed.'
“如果你这么累，你应该去睡觉。”
"No, no, " he'd say. "I was just waiting for you." Then we'd lock up the house and go to bed.
“不，不，”他会说。“我正等你呢。”然后我们就锁上房门上床睡觉。
My father waited up for me all through my high school and college years while I danced my way out of his life.
在我上高中和大学的几年里，我的父亲一直在等我，而我却舞出了他的生活。
One night, shortly after my first child was born, my mother called to tell me my father was ill.
我的第一个孩子出生后不久的一个晚上，母亲打电话告诉我，父亲病了。
"A heart problem, " she said. "Now,don't come. Three hundred miles.
“心脏问题，”她说。“你不要回来。三百英里呢。
It would upset your father. We will just have to wait. I'll let you know."
这会让你父亲不高兴的。我们只能等着。我会告诉你所有消息的。”
My father's tests showed some heart disease, but a proper diet restored him back to good health.
我父亲的检查显示他患有心脏病，但合理的饮食使他恢复了健康。
Then little things followed: a problem with his back, more heart trouble, a minor operation on his eyes.
之后又出现了一些小毛病：背部的问题，更多心脏的问题，眼部动了次小手术。
Yet his dancing did not stop. My mother wrote that they had joined a dance club.
但他却从未停止跳舞。母亲写信告诉我他加入了一个舞蹈俱乐部。
"You remember how your father loves to dance."
“你记得你父亲有多喜欢跳舞。”
Yes, I remembered. My eyes filled up with tears remembering those times when we danced together.
是的，我记得。想起曾经那些共舞的时光，我的眼里充满了泪水。
After my father retired, we mended our relationship.
父亲退休后，我们的关系重归于好。
Hugs and kisses were common when we visited each other.
见面的时候，总会拥抱和亲吻。
But my father did not ask me to dance.
但我父亲没有让我跟他一起跳舞。
He danced instead with his grandchildren; my daughters knew how to waltz before they could read.
他会跟他的孙女们跳舞；我的女儿们在识字前就学会了跳华尔兹。
"One, two, three, and one, two, three, " my father would count.
“一二三，一二三”，父亲会这样数着。
"Won't you come and waltz with me?"
“你不想来跟我一起跳华尔兹吗？”
Sometimes my heart would ache to hear him say those words to my daughters.
有时，听到他对我女儿说这些话，我的心会很痛。
I knew my father was waiting for an apology from me, and I could never find the right words.
我知道父亲在等我的道歉，但我一直找不到合适的话语。
