“Now tell me what’s going on,” I demanded.
Dad was silent for a few seconds. Then he reached for his phone, sent someone a text, and told me to go upstairs to his bedroom. He had already placed an armchair with a pillow and a blanket next to the bed.
“You’ll sleep here in the chair, and I’ll sleep in the bed,” he said. “We’ll lock the door from the inside.”
I asked him if we were in danger. He sat on the edge of the bed and covered his face with his hands.
I made a bad decision, Emily. I thought I could handle everything on my own. But I’m afraid something will happen tonight.
A chill ran through me. I remembered the telephone, the closed curtains, and how my father hadn’t let me walk home from school alone for several days. At eleven-thirty, we heard a noise downstairs. Someone slowly opened the kitchen door.
I jumped out of the chair. Dad immediately grabbed my hand and put his finger to his lips. Then car lights streamed through the window. Someone knocked three times on the front door. Dad paled.
“Stay here,” he said.
He didn’t want to let go, but he left the room and closed the bedroom door behind him. First I heard whispers downstairs, then heavy footsteps. Someone was coming up the stairs. The doorknob began to move.
“Emily, open the door,” I heard my father’s voice.
You can read what happened next in the comments. !! ️ 
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When I opened the door, my dad was there with two men in medical uniforms. One was carrying a bag full of equipment. The other had pulled a chair closer to the bed. I had no idea what was happening.
Dad sat down and finally told me the truth. A few weeks earlier, doctors had discovered a serious heart rhythm disorder. The doctor warned him he couldn’t delay treatment, but Dad postponed it because he didn’t want to spend my birthday in the hospital. That morning, his condition worsened. The doctor insisted he go to the hospital immediately, but Dad asked him to stay home one more night so he could be with me.
The call I accidentally overheard was also from a doctor. My dad said, “Don’t go near my daughter,” because one of the paramedics wanted to tell me what was happening at the party. My dad was afraid I would panic.
The reason I asked myself to sleep next to him was painfully simple. I was afraid his condition would worsen during the night without anyone noticing. I wanted him close, not to scare me, but so he could ask for help. However, the doctor didn’t trust his decision and sent several healthcare workers to our home.
