“Molly, check it out! Your dad’s here!” someone at the funeral said to the 17-year-old girl who was grieving over her mother Daisy’s casket.
Danny, Molly’s father, and her mom had split up ten years ago. Since that time, Molly had only heard bad things about him—like he was a “drunk” and other stuff.
Even though Molly didn’t feel angry at Danny, she often longed for their father-daughter bond. But after her mom’s funeral, everything was about to change for Molly…
“Hey there, sweetheart!” Danny welcomed his daughter with a hug before laying a wreath on his ex-wife’s casket.
“Sir, is that truck yours? It’s blocking half the parking lot. Can you move it?” a guest asked Danny, who worked as a truck driver.
“Yeah, that’s my truck. Just give me one sec. I just met my daughter. Hope you understand and thanks!”
Danny felt happy to see Molly again. The only connection he had with her all these years was through child support payments he made for her care. Daisy never let him see Molly because she worried he would be a bad influence on their child.
The funeral ended, and everyone left afterward. Danny gathered all of Molly’s belongings and told her they were heading to his place.
“A package? Who sent this?” he thought. A card attached read: “For Dad of the Year.”
“But why, Dad? I can’t leave this home. Mom and I lived here. It holds so many memories.”
Molly was upset because Danny wouldn’t pay attention. He understood he couldn’t leave his daughter by herself, especially since she often used a wheelchair when she didn’t have crutches. Because of a condition that started in her left leg when she was six, Molly walked with a limp.
A couple of days later, Molly moved in with her father. Even though the house was small and messy, it made her feel warm and loved.
As time went on, Danny struggled to help Molly. Since he hadn’t seen her grow up, he didn’t know how to do many things, like braiding her hair. He figured it out by watching videos online, but that wasn’t all.
He gave up his bedroom so that Molly could have a nice place to sleep. He even got her a soft new bed so she could rest comfortably. Danny tried hard to make his daughter feel at home, but there was one thing he kept hidden: his late-night outings.
Molly had no clue where her dad went at night after she fell asleep. She could only think he was hanging out with friends at the bar like her mom often said.
A few days later, Molly got off the school bus and walked into her house, crying. She discovered that the door was locked. There was a note hidden behind a plant. “The keys are under the pot. I will be back soon. See ya! – Dad.”
Molly frowned and remembered her mom talking about her dad’s “strange” habits in the evenings. She felt upset, thinking he might be out drinking at four o’clock.
Hours went by, but Danny didn’t come home. Molly made herself some pasta, saving some for her dad too. Then she lay on her bed, crying.
“If only I were normal, I wouldn’t feel so different! I would have found someone to go with me to prom.”
It turned out that Molly’s teacher had told them about their upcoming senior prom. All of her classmates found dates except for Molly; nobody wanted to take her. She thought—who would want to dance with someone who has a limp?
Molly cried so loudly that Danny heard as soon as he got home.
“What happened, sweetheart? Why are you crying?”
Molly explained about prom: “I don’t have a date! I even asked some boys if one of them could at least dance with me during prom, but they laughed and said no! I don’t want to go anymore, daddy! Just leave me alone! Goodnight!”
She turned away from Danny, pretending to sleep while tears soaked into her pillow.
Danny couldn’t just let his daughter stay sad like this; the next day, he bought Molly an amazing dress for prom. And on the big day, she was in for an emotional surprise—her dad was taking her!
Senior students and their guardians were gathering outside the hall when a loud screeching sound of an engine caught their attention.
Danny hopped down from the truck. He placed a wheelchair on the grass and assisted Molly in getting out. He pushed the wheelchair along the red carpet while everyone watched in wonder.
Danny hit the dance floor with his daughter as music played. He lifted Molly and spun her around, moving to the beautiful tunes of that night. For a moment, Molly forgot about her disability and laughed joyfully as her dad kept twirling her in his arms.
“My dad is my true superhero. I love him more than anything else in this world! I feel lucky and proud to say I’m his daughter,” Molly exclaimed to her friends after dancing.
Meanwhile, Danny became the star of the show. All parents gathered around him to compliment and cheer for him. Danny then shared some details about himself and his daughter, unaware of how that evening would soon transform their lives.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Danny and Molly got back home, talking about all the fun they had. Then Danny tucked Molly into bed and quietly slipped out of the house.
It turned out Danny was working another job as a caregiver at a local nursing home. Besides his part-time day job as a truck driver, he worked extra hours to make ends meet, saving cash for his daughter’s treatment. When Molly’s disability was discovered years ago, many people told Danny and Daisy that she would never walk.
But one doctor promised them he would help the girl and bring back her ability to walk. So Danny stopped hanging out in bars with his friends and began working two jobs.
Daisy misunderstood him and thought he was just wasting time at the bar. Danny tried to explain, but she never believed him. Her constant doubts and arguments led to their breakup soon after. Danny didn’t care because he was only focused on saving money for Molly’s operation and worked hard for several years.
It hurt Danny whenever he thought about his past. Even that night while driving to work, he couldn’t get rid of the awful things his ex-wife said to him. He finished his shift and went home, not ready for the surprise waiting for him and Molly.
That morning, when he got back from work, Danny found a package in his mailbox, which made him really happy.
“A parcel?? Who sent it?” he wondered. A card on it said: “Dad of the Year!”
Inside, there was a check for $10,000 along with another note:
“Dear Danny, we hope this helps your daughter’s life get better. Good luck with her surgery! We hope you can spend more time with her in the evenings! Best Wishes, Your Prom Buddies!”
Danny realized that the parents he’d met last night were behind this gift! Tears of joy filled his eyes as he shared this great news with Molly.
“Really?! Oh my God, daddy…This is amazing!” She laughed while crying on his shoulders.
With both the money he’d saved up plus that $10,000 check, Molly had her surgery done successfully; slowly but surely, she could walk without crutches!
Meanwhile, Danny quit one job so he could be around more often with his daughter, who earned a scholarship to study architecture far away. She was set to leave in three months!
Danny wanted to make the most of the time he had with Molly. He showed her how to cook, dance, ride a bike, and even run. His goal was for his daughter to have a regular life and not think back on the times when she relied on a wheelchair and crutches.
