I know,' I said, thinking about the trip my mother had wanted me to take, and the trip we'd ended up taking, and how much better ours had been.

"Daddy,' I whispered, feeling my own breath hitch in my throat. 'I love you.'Just when I was sure he was asleep, the one corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. 'I knew that,' he murmured. 'Always knew that."

Morgan Matson