I ran into the hospital ignoring the biting cold against my skin and threw open the doors. I saw my mother and brothers in the waiting room, along with Lin and Aunt Toph. My mother came up to me.

"Is he… well I mean." I asked. She shook her head.

"He's been waiting for you." She said softly. I swallowed. Was I ready to see him? I bit my lip.

"Mom… what do I say?" I asked.

"Just, just say whatever you need to." She told me softly. I hugged her tightly.

"I love you Mommy." I whispered. I heard the door open again and Tomakan came in with the twins.

"Aunt Lin!" Eliva said.

"Uncle Bumi!" Kenna squeeled. They both climbed out of their father's arms and ran to their relatives. Bumi was more than happy to tickle Kenna and throw her in the air and Lin listened with some interest to the stories Eliva told her. They were only 4; they didn't really understand what was going on. Tomakan came over to me.

"How is he?"

"He's okay now, but they want me to say good-bye." I told him. He kissed my forehead.

"I'll keep the girls with me." I nodded. I stared down the hall, that blank white hallway that seemed to go on forever and started walking down. I found Room 174, a plain white door with my father's name written on it. I pushed open the door and looked inside.

Daddy was lying on a hospital bed. At the foot of the bed, my parents' wedding quilt was folded over the bar. The entire bed was surrounded with metal bars. It reminded me a little of when Tenzin was a baby and my parents put bars around his bed while he was learning to sleep in his 'big boy bed'. A wooden chair was on the left side of the bed. I took off my gloves, hat, and jacket and put them on a cabinet by the door, then walked over to the chair.

"Hi Daddy." I said. He slowly lifted his head and looked over at me. A small smile came over his face. I sat down and slide my hand into his. "Eliva and Kenna are in the lobby with Tomakan. It's just me right now." I started filling the empty air with random bits of information. About how Eliva had accidentally broken one of the vases in the living room and how Kenna was trying to do cart wheels. Eventually I ran out of things to say though. I looked down at my daddy and took a breath. I ran my thumb over his fingers.

"They keep telling us that any day now you'll… you'll" I couldn't say it, so I took a breath and restarted. "They keep telling us that the new Avatar will be born any day now. They want us to say good-bye but Daddy. Daddy I don't want to." I leaned in closer to the bed, resting my head against the metal bars that were on the side. "I love you so much Daddy. You're the best father I could have hoped for. You were always so kind and silly, always made time for us in your day. Daddy, I don't know what I'm going to do without you." My eyes were filled with tears as I spoke. I wiped some away with my free hand and looked at him. He was once the strongest man I'd known, and now his body was failing him; only his eyes held the strength I knew. I took a deep breath, summoned every ounce of courage he'd ever given me, and said.

"But Daddy, you look, I mean, you seem so tired Daddy and Daddy…you can let go now Daddy." I was killing me to say this, but he needed to hear it. "You can let go. You've been fighting for life for so long Daddy, but you can let go now. Your Princess is ready to do this on my own. It's going to be a little bit scary, but I want you to know that I'll be okay now Daddy; you can let go." I was so close to tears at this point that I was shaking. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I love you Daddy." I leaned back and saw him trying to whisper something. I knew, somehow I just knew, that he was trying to tell me one last time that he loved me, to the spirit world and back.