HA…. Ha…. ha…. ha. Breathed heavily a man as he walked forward down a hidden side street alley in New York. Step by step he walked, and yet with every other step he staggered as he held the right side of his stomach with his left hand. There one could see bloodstained clothes. 

Taking a few more steps, the man finally staggered as he lost all feeling in his legs and could not walk anymore . His faltering step took him to the wall of a nearby building so he could support himself a bit. 

Ha… ha… ha. 

With his right hand the man held onto the wall for as long as he could, but finding his strength leaving him, he soon collapsed down. Down on the concrete ground, he took a deep breath and righted himself so his back faced the wall as he made himself more comfortable. 

Ha… ha… ha.

Taking another breath, he steadied his breathing somewhat. From the inner pocket of his brown raincoat, he took out a small picture with his right hand. With an unsteady hand he took it out and despite the blood on his left hand, he used it for additional support and looked at the picture with guilt. In the picture one could see the same man with dark blond hair, just younger, sitting on a couch in casual clothes. On his right leg sat a female child of about 6 years of age and by his right side sat a woman of similar dark blond hair. All three of them smiled as they stared at the camera that made the picture. 

“Emilia, my sweet girl.” He said as he looked at the little girl and took another deep breath. “I have failed you. I have tried my best, I really did.” Again he took a deep breath and continued speaking to the picture. “Despite finally finding him, I have failed to take revenge on him for you. ”

Glancing at his daughter one last second, he looked at his wife. “Chloe, my beautiful wife.” He said, and took another breath. “Despite saying it all the time, deep down I felt it was all your fault. It was only today that I learned otherwise. I am sorry for doubting your love for our daughter all these years. ”

With guilt and despair, he looked at his family when his hands shook again from the strain of blood loss. With shaky hands, he put the picture back into the inner pocket. Immediately, his strength vanished and his hands fell to the ground. Despite feeling less and less, he glanced at the blue sky and took another breath. 

“ God, what did we do to deserve this? ” He asked with powerlessness filling every inch of his body. Taking one last labored breath he spoke his last words in this World. “ Emilia, my sweet and beautiful daughter, papa is coming to see you. ” He said as blackness finally reached out to him and he succumbed to Death.