In the past, I would’ve backed down the moment Nora got mad. But now that my daughter was gone, I wasn’t about to go along with her nonsense anymore. This was my home too. If she couldn’t stand it, she was free to leave. Wasn’t Julian still waiting for her?
My defiance only made her angrier, and she slammed her hand on the table.
“Ian, don’t push your luck. I’m in a good mood today, so I’m not going to argue with you. Think about what you’ve done and contact me when you’ve come to your senses.”
With that, Nora stormed out, swinging her hips as she left.
She was gone for a while, and I slowly started to calm down. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel sad at all. The only thing on my mind was fulfilling my daughter’s last wish.
Right before she lost consciousness, she held my hand and weakly pleaded, “Dad, Mom won’t let me have a dog. Can you talk to her for me? When I come home every day, I’m all alone. With a dog, I wouldn’t feel so lonely anymore.”
She hesitated, then added, “Dad, if I don’t make it, the puppy can keep you company. I’ll take care of it, I promise…”
Tears streamed down my face as I remembered how much I’d failed her.