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"My Princesa." Thaïs' dad, Andres, whispered through his teeth as Thaïs held his hand tightly and weakly smiled at him, unable to say anything. She was sure these were her last moments with her father and she just wanted to sit through them. "I love you."
Thaïs shook her head, not wanting to accept this fate. She loved her father more than anything in the world. He was the one person who truly loved her no matter what went on in her life. Drips of salty water made their way into her mouth as she could barely get the words out, "I love you too, daddy."
Thaïs' mom, Teresa, and Ayame stood in the corner of the hospital room observing the interaction. Neither of them had ever seen Thaïs like this. Her whole body was trembling and she looked a mess. She usually kept it together for everyone else, but today she completely broke down.
Nothing could have ever prepared Thaïs for this day. She knew death was inevitable, but she refused to accept there would be a time her dad would no longer be on this Earth with her. Her father had been sick for some time now, but she knew he would get better. He always did. The hospital called two days prior saying his heart was slowing down, and she had been at the hospital ever since.
Thaïs never left Andres' hospital room; not even to get something to eat. The nurses would offer her food, but she was too anxious to eat any of it. Thaïs was confident her dad would get better and she didn't want to miss when he did. On the flip side, she also didn't want to miss if he transitioned. She was clammy and her skin had lost its hue, but she didn't care. She just wanted her dad to get better.
Teresa whispered to Ayame so she would get Thaïs some food from the cafeteria. She walked over to her daughter, rubbing her hand across her back. The room was tranquil other than the heart monitor beeping every few seconds. Teresa walked around to the front of the chair and kneeled in front of Thaïs. "Emmy I know you want to stay here, but I really don't think it's a good idea for you to be here if something were to happen."
Thaïs looked down and back at her mother. She shook her head no, before grabbing her father's hand. She wasn't leaving him; not even for a second. If these were her father's last moments she wanted to be there until the end. "I wanna stay."
"Mija, I understand you do. But you haven't been home in two days. We can go home and you can shower, then we'll come right back here. Okay?" Teresa looked over at Andres. She was sad as well, but she had to keep it together for Thaïs, who was practically losing her mind.
Thaïs nodded her head. She utilized the bathroom in the hospital room, but it wasn't the same as the shower at home. It would only take two hours, and she was coming right back so all should be well. Thaïs reached over the hospital bed, pecking her dad on the cheek. He was falling in and out of sleep, and Thaïs was grateful he was awake this time. "I love you, daddy. I'll be back in a few hours, so I'll see you later."
