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I opened my mouth to try and speak, but my voice completely refused to cooperate.
Seeing my emotion, Dad reached out and gently touched my shoulder, explaining, “This is for you… in case the day gets loud”.
I instantly threw my arms around his neck, playfully complaining, “You really need to stop trying to make me cry before public events, Dad”.
He returned the embrace warmly, and that simple hug gave me the steady grounding I needed.
In the rush that followed, we barely managed to make it to the venue on time. My blue dress slid on with ease, and Dad paused to adjust a stray piece of my hair, using his careful fingers to straighten it before leaning back to properly take me in.
“I was learning to braid your hair for kindergarten,” he murmured softly. “Now look at you”.