\u201cYou\u2019re spoiling those girls, Radu!\u201d his wife Ioana used to tell him. \u201cWhy do you all gang up on me? I know you\u2019re sneaking treats from the pantry for your little angels!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m going to spoil them as long as I live!\u201d Radu would reply with a beaming smile. \u201cThey\u2019ll always be my first priority as long as I\u2019m here. I\u2019m sorry, dear, but now you have some competition. But, remember, you and all our girls are my world,\u201d and he would wrap her in a warm embrace.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ioana\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Radu\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
After Radu\u2019s 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\u2019t bring herself to do, unable to bear the thought of him buried underground.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn my birthday, I want my little girls to look their best. I\u2019m curious to see what they\u2019ll wear. Promise you\u2019ll come and show Daddy your beautiful outfits, girls?\u201d Radu had asked. This was his final wish, for his daughters to visit him on his birthday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Thus, a day before his birthday, the girls pleaded with Ioana to take them shopping.<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy,\u201d little Mara said, \u201cDaddy loved my red dress. He got me one for my birthday. I want a red dress.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can pick for me, Mommy,\u201d Ana chimed in. \u201cI want Daddy\u2019s favorite color.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026 I just don\u2019t think I have the time, girls,\u201d Ioana tried to dodge the task. She was still grieving Radu. She wasn\u2019t ready for something that reminded her of the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we have to visit Daddy!\u201d Mara asserted. \u201cHe asked me to look pretty on his birthday. He asked Ana too.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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