there was a flash of frustration in my father 's eyes , but it was gone when his gaze met mine . his knees were weak and he was shaking so badly he could barely hold on to her . i could put on the dress i brought for tonight . sure , '' i say , `` do you , um , mind if i hop on your computer for a second ? he was the sort of man for whom a whisper carried far more force than a shout . 