He had just kissed his baby girl goodbye for the afternoon. Hours later, he was gone forever.

Thirty-five-year-old Dennis Lewis had spent the morning at Highland Park Hospital in Illinois, visiting his three-day-old daughter, Harley. He couldn’t stand being away from her — even for a few hours. “He wanted her to know we were there and not alone,” his partner Amberly Trocke said through tears.

On his way home, Dennis texted that Harley had stirred at the sound of his voice — just like she did before she was born. Moments later, tragedy struck. His Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a semi-truck at an intersection in Green Oaks. He died instantly.

At home, Amberly waited with their four-year-old daughter, Davina, wondering why he hadn’t returned. “I knew in my heart something was wrong,” she said. By the time deputies came to her door, the life they were building was shattered.

Dennis had planned to propose after the baby’s birth. Instead, Amberly is now raising two little girls who will grow up hearing about the man who loved them more than life itself.

“He never got to bring Harley home,” she said. “But I know he’ll watch over her — always.”

Some goodbyes happen so suddenly, the heart never gets the chance to catch up.