Last night I was laying next to Dawud's little baby girl as she was falling asleep. I remembered the very few times Dawud put her to sleep, he would hold her and sing to her while stoking her hair. I cried because she will never remember that. He would tell me that I have to stoke her hair and make her more than one bottle for her to fall asleep. A wave of emotions fell over me, that fact that he's gone and will never experience the joy of his children. The very few joys he had in his short lifetime. I cried so hard, these thoughts ache my heart. I think of the song that Dawud sang to Dominion from when he was inside my tummy until his second to last phone call when they were speaking, Mini was silent, and I asked him what's he saying and he said my Dad is singing to me, as he sang along the rest. I smiled, not knowing what's to come.
The very next time Mini sang that song is after seeing him at the viewing. He was singing it crying and moving his hands back and forth.
Now I cry for no new memories of him, just the ones we had and have to hold on to.
--Sandra Salim