Despite living in a sprawling estate overlooking the hills outside a wealthy American city, Lucas felt alone most of the time. Servants were polite but distant, security guards silent, and his father constantly absent, buried under meetings and phone calls that never seemed to end. When Matthew did visit his son, the conversations were short and filled with promises about future treatments, future breakthroughs, and future victories over fate. Lucas listened patiently, though deep inside he wished his father would simply stay and talk, even if there were no solutions left to discuss.
One afternoon, while a business gathering echoed through the lower floors of the house, Lucas sat on the wide staircase, holding a small wooden toy he had memorized by touch. In a barely audible voice, he whispered, “I would give anything just to see one thing, even if only once.” Matthew heard the words from above and felt something twist painfully inside him, yet pride and frustration forced him to turn away rather than face his own helplessness.