It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
In the back of his mind, he knew he’d be the one to go first. He was the one with the bad heart and foggy memory – the bifocals, the hearing aids. She reminded him to take his pills every morning.
The vicious cancer, undetected, struck swiftly. She was gone before they could even catch their breath.
Days dripped past like the tears he’d already spent. He never thought it possible, but he knew deep down his well had run dry for good. Not even his children could pull him out of the dark hole he’d found himself in.
On a bleak December morning, his daughter surprised him with a gift. He opened the package slowly – pulled out something soft.
A pair of pink baby booties dangled from his quivering hand. Something lodged in his throat as he looked at his daughter.
“I’m having a baby, Dad. ”
He pulled her close and cried — wept — felt his face dampen against her shirt.
Everything aligned as life breathed back into his bones, his being. The little girl had already won his heart.
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Very touching story, Justin. The continuation of your family is one of life's most beautiful gifts.