He leaned in closer. “Then I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Daniel turned slightly away, blinking hard as his eyes filled with tears he had sworn he wouldn’t let fall in front of his daughter.
The hospital monitors continued their steady rhythm, faint electronic beeps blending with the quiet hum of the ventilation system. Nurses lingered discreetly near the doorway, pretending to check charts while witnessing something far more powerful than any routine medical procedure. Michael kept holding Lily’s hand, his thumb moving gently over her knuckles in a grandfatherly way that felt natural, not staged.
“So,” he asked softly, “what’s your superpower?”
She thought for a moment. “I don’t give up.”
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