Page 94 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

"It's too late, Hails.

"It's not too late. You can fight this."

"I don't have any fight left in me."

Please don't give up. "Of course you do. You're the strongest person I know."

He smiled. It looked like it pained him to do it. "Go live your life, Hails. You're bigger than this town. Go make me proud."

"Dad, this town is my life. You're my life. I love it here. This was always enough for me."

He smiled. "You were always enough for me. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. The greatest blessing that this life ever gave me. That's why you need to keep your heart open, Hails. Don't go your whole life being scared to let people in. You need to know that I never regretted what happened with your mother. Because she gave me you."

The tears streamed down my cheeks. It was such a contrast to the things Elena had said. My dad had always made me feel like I was a gift. That I was

special. That I was loved. Why had I ever felt like I was missing something? I didn't need a mother. Because I had the best dad a girl could ask for.

"For me, the sun rose and set with your smile. Don't ever stop smiling. Don't ever change, Hails. I love you so much, honey." He touched the bottom of my chin again.

"I love you too. Dad, we can fight this together."

He coughed again. More blood came out on his hand.

"I'm going to go get a doctor." I ran over to the door as the machine he was attached to started to beep.

A doctor was already standing by the door talking to Anna.

"He's coughing up blood and the machine started beeping..."

The doctor rushed into the room.

Anna gently touched my arm. "Is he..." her voice trailed off as she stared at me.

"No, of course not. He's going to be fine." I shook her hand off me and followed the doctor back into my dad's room.

But the doctor wasn't doing anything. He was just writing something in his notebook. The machines had stopped. Everything was eerily quiet.

"Is he okay?"

He turned toward me. His facial expression matched Anna's from earlier. Matched the receptionist. Matched the cab driver's when he saw me bawling in the back seat of his car.

Fuck all of them. "Why aren't you doing anything?"

"I'm so sorry, you must be his daughter. I'm doctor Klein. We didn't realize how fast the cancer was spreading. We did everything we could."

I shook my head. "What? No. I got the money for the treatments."

"I'm so very sorry." He pulled the envelope I had given Anna out of his coat pocket and handed it back to me.

I tried to push it back at him. "Use it to save him."

"I'm sorry, Miss Shaw. He's gone."

What was he talking about? Tears were streaming down my face. "He's right there. Why aren't you doing anything?!" I could hear the hysteria in my voice, but I didn't care.

"Hon..." Anna touched my arm.

I shook her off again.

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