Hi, my little girl!

You were born before this terrible war began in our country... 

  I remember holding you in my arms and dreaming of how much we would do together... How I hugged you and you reached out to me with your little hands. How I taught you to speak, but you still said “mama “ as your first word. How I taught you to walk. How you loved to fall asleep next to me, not letting go of my hand even in your sleep...

 I thought that when you were little, we would travel around the world on elephants and fly around it on our dreams. We would conquer the oceans on the backs of whales and climb the highest mountains!

I dreamed that when you grew up, we would not only be father and daughter, but also friends who shared secrets…

I wanted to teach you to fear nothing and to boldly go forward, to help you take off and support you if you ever fell!

I knew I would walk you down the aisle and hear your "yes," see your happy eyes, and of course, approve of your choice. I was sure that I would dance with you at your wedding and babysit your grandchildren...

I believed that it would be that way!

But the war came to our home. And I had to go and protect you and our dreams...

I'm sorry, but I never made it back.

I really wanted to, but fate made the choice for us...

But that doesn't mean I wasn't with you all this time!

I saw you grow up! I saw you get older and go to school...

I saw you learn and turn from a girl into a woman. I saw you off on your first date. And I waited for you to come back from all the others.

And I was also there when you were looking through our family album and secretly crying because you couldn’t remember me at all, while hiding it from your mother

I was there when you danced at your wedding. I saw the happiness in our eyes and the sadness when you looked at the empty chair next to Mom.

I held your hand when you had a son and then a daughter!

I was always with you, every minute, because no force in the universe can break the bond between a father and his daughter!

I was there and kept the promise I made to you as a child. But you never found out...

I love you, my little girl! I'm sorry we didn't get to do everything we planned...

And don't be afraid, when the time comes for us to meet again, I'll be by your side and waiting for you, as I promised…

***

She lived a long and happy life, and one morning she passed away...

Next to her, they found an envelope and an empty letter. It contained only a few lines:

"Hello, Dad!

I always knew you were nearby! As a child, I wasn't afraid to fall asleep because I always felt your hand.

I rode my bike without fear because I was sure you would support me.

I asked for your permission before getting married, and I think I heard it...

I walked through life with confidence, always feeling you close by.

And today, I'm not afraid to leave because, as before, I feel your love and know that you're as always waiting for me by my side...!

Take my hand, like you did when I was a child. Then I won't be scared for sure!

See you later, Dad! I miss you so much!

We still have so much to say to each other..."

***

When we love, we never truly part.

_

® Anatoliy Kavun
The entire text of the story is the author's. Copyright is officially registered.