My Stepdad Raised Me Since I Was Four – What He Suddenly Whispered to Me at the Hospital Left Me in Tears

For a moment, I waited for that familiar uneven smile.

Instead, tears gathered in his eyes.

I moved closer to the bed.

“Dad?”

His mouth formed a word, but nothing came out.

“Are you in pain?”

He shook his head.

The nurse glanced at the monitor before gently touching my shoulder.

“I’ll give you two some time.”

When she stepped out, I reached for the damp cloth on the bedside table and carefully laid it across Frank’s forehead.

“You know, those pancakes weren’t even very good,” I said, hoping to draw him back into the memory. “They were always burned around the points.”

A soft breath escaped him, almost like a laugh.

“You still ate them,” he said.

“Of course I ate them. I was afraid you’d make me eat oatmeal if I complained.”