Colonel Jonathan Walker hasn’t seen his estranged daughter Susie in years. Now on his deathbed in the wake of WWII, all he wants is to see her again. But after disapproving of her engagement to a German immigrant, he doesn’t know how he can possibly make things right. With the encouragement from a mysterious nurse that it’s never too late to ask for forgiveness, he makes one last wish—to see Susie before he dies.
So when he wakes up in Grand Central Station exactly 24 hours earlier and his broken wristwatch is somehow working again, he seizes the opportunity and boards a train to West Virginia.
But it’s not going to be easy, and when he finds Susie, he can’t bring himself to face her and admit he was wrong. With the numbers on his watch slowly disappearing, will he be able to set aside his pride and make amends before it’s too late?
Anna Harp –
Alyssa’s short story in the Voices of the Future anthology Volume 2, A Deathbed Wish, is absolutely stunning! Set against the backdrop of World War 2, it balances the tragedy all those soldiers faced with the burning love of a father and his regret over the way he once hurt his daughter. This story will tug on your heart strings as you follow Jon Walker, but it will leave you warm and filled with the exquisitely perfect and beautiful ending. I give her story a 10 out of 10. You won’t regret supporting her and the other budding young authors published with her!