Beth began crying softly.
“I know you’ll look after your mom,” Richard said. “You’ve always had such a big heart. But promise me you’ll let people look after you, too.”
There was a short pause.
“And when you think about me, don’t just remember that I was sick. Remember the good stuff. The pancakes we ruined. The songs we made up in the car. All those ordinary days.”
His final words were simple.
“I loved being your dad, Beth. More than anything.”
Nobody spoke when the recording ended.
Then Beth turned to Janet.
“I don’t want to forget any more of those ordinary days.”
Janet hugged her.
“Neither do I.”
A week later, Janet invited us over.
For the first time in four years, there were photographs of Richard on the walls.
Not just pictures of him in uniform.
There was one of him sleeping on the couch with baby Beth curled against him. Another showed him covered in flour while teaching her to bake.
