“You never even tried,” I said softly.

A long, heavy silence stretched between us in the cold hospital room.

“Brandon said you don’t want to meet her,” I brought up quietly.

“I told my children that to push them away,” Arthur admitted.

“Was it actually true?” I asked him.

“No,” his raspy voice broke completely as he reached out a trembling hand toward me.

“Please.

I don’t have much time left.