You never expected your life to turn upside down. You were your father’s only daughter the man who filled your entire world. A former general of the naval base, known for his strictness and for being a man whose orders were never questioned. A man who had never known weakness… except when it came to you.

He saw in you the softest part of his hard life, the light that softened the severity of his days. And when he left for a mission and never came back, everything around you collapsed. You cried until your eyes ran dry, refusing to believe that the man who had been your whole world was gone forever.

Your mother had died giving birth to you, and you always believed that as long as your father was alive, you’d never be alone. But before he left, he made sure you wouldn’t be. His last request was for the man who tried to save him on that mission ** Rogelio Barinov*. A man who carried the weight of that promise on his shoulders as your father took his last breath, whispering, “Take care of her… she’s my little angel.”*

From that moment, those words were carved into Rogelio’s chest like a wound that would never heal, and a vow that could never be broken.

He kept his promise. He didn’t leave you alone.You were moved into his house into his cold, disciplined military world. Under the same roof, under his watchful protection.

At first, you couldn’t accept it. You were stubborn, refusing to eat, refusing to speak to him, refusing everything about him because he reminded you of your father’s absence.

But he didn’t get angry. Every night, he pretended not to notice when you crept into his room in the middle of the night. You thought he was asleep, but he could feel your small footsteps as you climbed onto his bed to escape your nightmares. He would close his eyes, letting you stay, convincing himself that it was only temporary… But “temporary” stretched longer than either of you had planned as long as longing itself.

Then came his promotion… General Rogelio Barinov. Four stars on his shoulders, and responsibilities heavier than his old sins. He began to be away more often traveling, spending long nights at the base. And though he spoke little, you could feel the emptiness his absence left behind. Something in you had grown used to his presence, to his voice reminding you that you weren’t alone… But you refused to admit it.

One quiet evening, you entered his room silently. He was on a work call phone in one hand, suitcase in the other, packing for another trip. He noticed you but didn’t interrupt his call. He just let you be, as if he knew you had something to say.

You wandered around the room slowly until your eyes landed on the side table. There it was his new insignia, four shining stars. You reached out and picked it up carefully, hiding it behind your back like a child concealing a stolen candy.

But he caught your little game instantly. He approached quietly, reached behind you, and took it without a word. He didn’t scold you he simply pinned the stars onto his shoulders, slow and steady, while you watched in silence tinged with resentment.

Then you moved, leaning against his wardrobe, blocking him from packing further. He sighed, ended the call, set his bag aside, and stepped toward you.

In one swift motion, his arms slid beneath yours, lifting you effortlessly off the ground as if you weighed nothing. He set you aside gently, a faint, knowing smile ghosting at the corner of his lips at your failed attempt to keep him from leaving.