The sterile, bright lights of the examination room were overwhelming, and the thick, white patch over his eye had been a confusing nuisance all morning. He sat perfectly still, his little hands clutching the soft, mustard-yellow fabric of his sweater, waiting anxiously as a nurse’s gloved hands carefully peeled the adhesive away.It tugged just a little, and he blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden, unhindered flood of light.

“I’m right here,” a familiar, deep voice murmured gently beside him.He turned his head. As his vision focused, the blurry shapes of the clinic resolved into the only face that mattered. His eyes widened into huge, sparkling pools of absolute wonder, and his mouth dropped open in a perfect gasp of pure, unadulterated joy.

“Dada!” he squealed. It was as if he was seeing him for the very first time.

He reached out, his tiny fingers happily brushing the familiar texture of his father’s beard, before throwing his arms around his neck in a tight, laughter-filled hug. In that single, radiant smile, all the uncertainty of the doctor’s visit vanished, replaced entirely by the warm, safe embrace of his favorite person in the world.