“Why do I have to be so weak?”

A single tear slips from her father’s eye. He looks at his daughter with a mixture of shock and confusion. His mouth hangs open as he searches for the right words to say. Finally, he speaks quietly, almost to himself. “Alex, honey, I?”

He breaks off as a knock sounds on the door. He stands up abruptly and wipes the tears off his face before crossing the room to open it. He turns back to Alex, giving her a reassuring grin as he does so.

“Hey, sweetheart, how are you holding up?” he asks her politely. He leans down and presses a...