“It might be too sad,” Karen told her.
Emily shook her head.
“Daddy wanted to take me.”
She paused.
“If we don’t go, his dream dies too.”
Those words broke Karen’s heart.
Her young daughter was carrying a grief far bigger than anyone expected.
They decided they would go.
THE LETTER HIDDEN INSIDE A CHILD’S HAND
The night before the taping, Karen found Emily sitting quietly on her bed.
The little girl was holding a piece of paper.
She was writing slowly and carefully, concentrating on every word.
“What’s that, baby?” her mother asked.
Emily folded the paper quickly.
“It’s for Johnny.”
Karen assumed it was simply a child’s drawing or a small thank-you note.
She did not realize it was something much more meaningful.
The next evening, Emily insisted on wearing her father’s watch.
It was much too large for her wrist.
