Dipped Strawberries

The call came at 2:47 AM on Thursday. Emma's voice: "Dad, we're going to the hospital." I was out of bed, dressed, and in the truck in four minutes. I drove to Memorial Hermann with my hazard lights on, obeying the speed limit only because getting pulled over would delay me. Daniel was already there — they'd gone by ambulance because Emma's contractions were three minutes apart and Daniel has the correct instincts of a nurse who knows when not to drive.

I sat in the waiting room for eleven hours. I drank eight cups of terrible hospital coffee. I texted Tyler, Lily, and Linh updates as they came. Tyler was on a rig and couldn't get away but called every hour. Lily drove from Montrose and sat with me. James came with pastries from Kevin's bakery, which was the most thoughtful thing anyone did all day. Mai stayed home — the hospital is too much for her — but she called every two hours and asked the same question: "Is the baby here yet?" I said, "Not yet." She said, "Tell Emma to hurry." I did not relay this message.

Ava Santos was born at 1:42 PM on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Seven pounds, four ounces. Brown eyes. A full head of dark hair. Daniel came out to the waiting room and his face was the face of a man who has just witnessed the most ordinary miracle in the world. He said, "She's here." I said, "Can I see her?" He said, "Come."

I held my granddaughter for the first time at 2:15 PM. She was wrapped in a hospital blanket, her eyes closed, her mouth making the small searching movements that newborns make. She weighed nothing and everything. She was the size of a football and the weight of the entire world. I held her and I looked at her face and I saw Mai and Huy and Emma and myself and forty-eight years of a family that started in a refugee camp in Arkansas and ended up here, in a hospital room in Houston, holding a baby girl named Ava.

I said, "Hello, Ava. I'm your ông Nội." Grandfather. In Vietnamese. Because that's what she'll call me. That's what I am now.

I went home at 8 PM. I didn't cook. I sat on the back porch with a La Croix and looked at the stars and cried the kind of tears that have nothing to do with sadness and everything to do with the staggering, incomprehensible luck of being alive and sober and here for this.

I didn’t cook that Thursday night — I just sat on the porch and let the whole impossible day wash over me. But in the days that followed, when family started coming by to meet Ava, I wanted to make something that felt like the moment: simple, sweet, and worth sharing with everyone who loved her before she even knew their names. Dipped strawberries are what I landed on — nothing complicated, nothing that requires a recipe card or a lot of concentration, just chocolate and fruit and something beautiful you can set out on a tray and let people take as they please. It felt right for a house that was suddenly full of flowers and tears and laughter all at once.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 20 min (plus 30 min chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 lb fresh strawberries (about 20—24 medium), hulls on, washed and thoroughly dried
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable shortening
4 oz white chocolate chips (optional, for drizzle)
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (for white chocolate, if using)
Optional toppings: crushed toasted pecans, rainbow sprinkles, shredded coconut, or flaky sea salt

Instructions

Dry the strawberries. After washing, spread strawberries on a clean kitchen towel and pat completely dry — any moisture will cause the chocolate to seize. Let them air-dry at least 10 minutes.
Melt the chocolate. Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth, about 90 seconds total. Alternatively, melt over a double boiler on the stovetop, stirring constantly.
Dip each strawberry. Hold a strawberry by the hull and dip it into the melted chocolate, tilting the bowl and rotating the berry to coat about 3/4 of the way up. Let the excess drip off for a few seconds, then set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Add toppings (optional). While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle on any desired toppings — nuts, coconut, or sprinkles. Work quickly before the chocolate begins to set.
Drizzle with white chocolate (optional). Melt white chocolate chips with 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil the same way as above. Transfer to a small zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner, and drizzle over the dipped berries in a zigzag pattern for a decorative finish.
Chill until set. Refrigerate the tray for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is fully firm. Serve the same day for best texture — the strawberries release moisture over time.

Nutrition (per serving)

Dipped Strawberries — Something Sweet for the Sweetest Day of My Life