“You’re spoiling those girls, Radu!” his wife Ioana used to tell him. “Why do you all gang up on me? I know you’re sneaking treats from the pantry for your little angels!”
“Well, I’m going to spoil them as long as I live!” Radu would reply with a beaming smile. “They’ll always be my first priority as long as I’m here. I’m sorry, dear, but now you have some competition. But, remember, you and all our girls are my world,” and he would wrap her in a warm embrace.
Radu was truly the perfect family man, always knowing how to balance everything. Things changed after he passed. Mara and Ana grew quieter, while Ioana struggled to accept the reality of losing him.
Ioana’s last memories with Radu were heart-wrenching. He passed away before her eyes, and she could do nothing. The doctors had diagnosed him with stage four cancer, and despite starting treatment promptly and fighting hard, they eventually lost, the ruthless disease claiming victory.
Radu’s life ended one morning, with his little girls having slept beside him in his hospital bed the night before. He had asked Ioana to let them stay the night, likely sensing it would be his last with his precious daughters.
After Radu’s passing, Ioana found it hard to move on, no matter how hard she tried. The girls showed more strength than her, as they were present at the funeral, something Ioana just couldn’t bring herself to do, unable to bear the thought of him buried underground.
“On my birthday, I want my little girls to look their best. I’m curious to see what they’ll wear. Promise you’ll come and show Daddy your beautiful outfits, girls?” Radu had asked. This was his final wish, for his daughters to visit him on his birthday.
Thus, a day before his birthday, the girls pleaded with Ioana to take them shopping.
“Mommy,” little Mara said, “Daddy loved my red dress. He got me one for my birthday. I want a red dress.”
“You can pick for me, Mommy,” Ana chimed in. “I want Daddy’s favorite color.”
“I… I just don’t think I have the time, girls,” Ioana tried to dodge the task. She was still grieving Radu. She wasn’t ready for something that reminded her of the end.
“But we have to visit Daddy!” Mara asserted. “He asked me to look pretty on his birthday. He asked Ana too.”
