It all began the summer before my seventh grade year. My mom and I had to go to another town. It was about my dad's health. My mom went to my friend’s house across from our house. I knew it was bad she wouldn’t let me hear.

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My friend went to use the restroom. When she came back out she gave me the news that almost killed me. My dad was dying from lung cancer. I mean I had only got to know him for a couple of years. The only thing running through my head was images of my step-dad that had just passed on a couple years earlier of cancer.

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It hurt me to think of how much suffering my step-dad went through. Now to see my real dad going through the same thing hurt me. I didn’t realize I wasn’t going to have to go through the seeing of it. Cancer had already spread to bad for any hope of survival. When I realized the certainty of what she had just told me.

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My heart dropped from my chest I felt like I couldn't breathe. It had truly killed me on the inside. I wanted to cry but I had to be strong for my mom. When she came out we went and packed our stuff. My friend’s mom had given us a ride to meet my cousins.

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When we met my cousin I could see the hurt in her eyes as she gave me a hug. When we finally got to my dads providers house, I saw my dad lying in a hospital bed. I knew worse was to come. He was on oxygen he couldn’t talk. It killed me to see him this way it reminded me of my step-dad of whom I loved dearly.

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I cried so much I could barely hug him without hurting him. I stayed by his side from the time I woke up till the time I went to bed. I told him I loved him so much everyday. I just wanted everything back to normal, like when I was younger. I wanted him to get up and walk around and hug me and tell me everything was going to be alright.

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I just wanted to hear him tell me he loved me and I was his baby girl just one last time. I remember the day he died it was nine in the morning. My mom came in and woke me up and told me to get the living room now. When I got in there I could tell he was going. I was standing there holding his hand and told him I loved him.

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I told him I would see him again soon. Then not a minute later he was closed his eyes and was gone. I felt a piece of me go with him that day. I knew right before he died when he looked at me for the last time he was telling me he loved me. I just wanted my daddy to wake up so bad. That was the summer it all ended.