Dolph Adelino Heinrich was born on a Saturday to Albert Heinrich and Idetta Elery. Being four pounds and eleven ounces, Albert was scared to hold the baby until the woman shoved his child into his arms.
By age two, Idetta had been killed by a drunk driver, leaving Dolph to Albert, who loved him more than anything in the world. Idetta was honored by her mother and father's families, as well as her own.
By age three, Dolph loved to sing and dance, often putting on a show for his father and the family. Francoise would often get up and dance with him, keeping it simple of course. She would not want Dolph to try and imitate her, since he was too little.
By age six, Dolph had begun to wonder if his guardian angel, Hilda, was actually more than that. His father had always spoke softly of his guardian angel, and told his son many, many stories of her kindness. When Jet accidently brought up his father's ring and called it "Hilda's ring," Dolph wondered if maybe his guardian angel were actually a girl that his daddy liked.
By age ten, Dolph was performing for large crowds, singing as best he could. He was amazing. Albert had bought vocal lessons for him, and Dolph knew he couldn't let his father down. He respected his father so much, and Albert was his best friend, so he had to do well tonight to please his father.
By age twelve, Dolph knew his father was proud of him. He grew angry at a group of women who stood in an isle at the grocery store, talking about how Albert was a bad parent because he was "his son's friend and not his parent." He simply set them straight, walking off in a huff. Later, he cried in his father's arms, telling him that he had done wrong, and then went to his room to beg his guardian angel for her forgiveness.
By age fifteen, Dolph knew the story behind his "guardian angel." Or at least the basics. He learned that Hilda had been his father's fiancé, and that she had died somehow. He also knew that his father had been through a lot, so he stopped asking.
By age nineteen, Dolph had brought home a girlfriend, a young woman with reddish-brown hair and light blue eyes. Albert chuckled when he saw her, but left his son alone after that. Dolph knew that Albert trusted him and would not let him down.
By the age of twenty-one, Dolph had married his girlfriend, and informed Albert that he was going to be a grandfather. Needless to say, Albert was less than happy about the idea, but knew there was nothing he could do. Instead, he smiled at his son, and Dolph knew he had been given permission to grow up from the little boy he once was. He could still be his father's best friend, though…
By age twenty-five, Dolph and his wife were about to have their second child. Dolph's first child, a little girl he had called Hilda out of respect for his father and his "guardian angel," was starting to look more and more like Dolph. She sat on her mother's lap when she could, giggling when her sibling kicked inside her mother's tummy. "He'll be just like me," she would squeal with a grin.
By age thirty, Dolph was happily married with two kids and a supportive father who had always been there for him. His wife had been calling Albert "father" for years and he told others that she was his daughter. Dolph had not been afraid to tell his father anything and everything, and now his children did the same. Albert had never been happier; he had told Dolph that himself, and Dolph trusted him.
By age thirty-one, Dolph was gone. Albert stood in front of the casket that his only child lie in, and silently cried to himself. Behind him, Hilda and Albert, his two precious grandchildren, cried out loud. They had loved their father as much as their grandfather had been loved by his own son. It was funny how life passed so quickly. It wasn't the first time Albert had lost someone so important to him, and it wouldn't be the last. For now, he just had to focus on getting back on his feet.
It was seven forty-two when Albert shaken awake by a doctor. He looked around confused at first, until he realized where he was. Idetta was laying asleep in the bed in front of him, and the nurse had a bundle in her arms. In fluent German, she asked if he would like to hold the child. Albert almost turned the offer down, but he remembered the dream and took the child. If he played his cards right, maybe he could stay away from the path that would end his relationship with his infant son so quickly.