Childhood Promise

I held the phone up to my ear, ignoring her desperate hand gestures as I spoke in a firm, authoritative voice. "Dad! Why are you pushing Val so hard?! She's been working for two days straight without a second of sleep! She's completely exhausted, and if you keep throwing security assignments at her, she's going to collapse and get sick!"

Absolute silence fell over the receiver.

Three seconds passed, and not a single sound came through the speaker.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the screen in confusion. "Uh... Dad? Did you hang up? Is the signal bad?"

A light, amused cough sounded from the line. "I am still here, Seth," my father's calm voice echoed smoothly. "I was simply waiting for you to finish your protective rant."

I blinked. "Oh."