I tucked the picture into my heart, no matter how badly it would make it ache. The chair scraped over the stone floor as I stood, and I leaned down, kissing him on the top of his head. I wound my arms around his shoulders for the length of a breath, and two tears slipped down his rough cheeks, disappearing into his beard. When I opened the door, I didn’t look back. Because I knew I would never see my father again.
