In the days after my father’s sudden passing, grief and responsibilities consumed me. I became not just a brother but a surrogate father to Emily, my seven-year-old sister. Her tear-filled eyes, longing for Dad, pulled at my heart, urging me to be strong for her.
One evening, as I tucked Emily in, she innocently asked, “Alex, can you be my daddy now?” Her words struck me, and I sensed she needed more than a brother.