Static filled the air for a second.
Then—
“Okay, buddy… is it recording?”
Mark’s voice.
Warm. Alive.
Real.
It hit me so hard I almost collapsed.
“Hi, Annie… if Leo didn’t spoil this… happy anniversary.”
A sob escaped me before I could stop it.
Leo stood frozen, tears running silently down his face.
Mark’s voice continued—talking about promises he hadn’t gotten to keep, trips we never took, small everyday moments that suddenly felt priceless.
Then came the words that changed everything.
“If I ever forget to say it… remember our code.”
I froze.
Three squeezes.
Something simple we created years ago—our quiet way of saying what words couldn’t.
“I’m here.”
Leo leaned closer, whispering through tears.
“Daddy… three squeezes means you’re here.”
For a moment—
nothing.
Then the monitor flickered.
“Wait,” a nurse said sharply.
I felt it before I saw it.
A faint pressure.
Mark’s fingers moved.
Just barely.
