Daddy's Hidden Love

Sunlight peeked through the gap in the curtains and spilled onto Sunny’s little bed. Sunny rubbed her sleepy eyes. What a beautiful morning! She bounced out of bed in a flash because she had just remembered something wonderful: today was the day she and Daddy were going to build the tallest block castle ever!

Still in her pajamas, Sunny pitter-pattered out of her room and down the hall. But when she reached the front door, she saw Daddy holding his briefcase, getting ready to leave.

Sunny tugged at the bottom of Daddy's shirt and pleaded sweetly, "Daddy! Daddy! Please don't go! Stay and play blocks with me!"

Daddy knelt down and gently ruffled Sunny’s hair. He looked a little sad as he said, "Be a good girl, Sunny. Daddy has to go to work now. I'll play with you tonight when I get home, okay?"

He gave Sunny a quick kiss on the cheek, and with a soft click, the front door closed behind him.

Sunny stared at the closed door. Her bottom lip stuck out in a big pout, and tears began to well up in her eyes. Daddy always says he has to work, she thought angrily. He just doesn't want to play with me. Daddy must not love me anymore!

Mommy saw Sunny sitting on the couch, sulking and looking downcast. She walked over gently, sat down next to her, and scooped her up into a warm hug.

"Oh my, why is our little princess so upset?" Mommy asked with a soft smile.

Sunny sniffled and said, "Daddy only likes work. He doesn't like Sunny."

Mommy offered a knowing smile and whispered, "Sunny, let me ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer honestly, okay?"

Sunny nodded curiously.

Mommy pointed to the little plush bunny sitting on the couch. "Do you like that soft, squishy bunny? Isn't it so cozy to cuddle with when you go to sleep?"

Sunny hugged the bunny tightly and nodded vigorously.

Then, Mommy pointed toward the closet. "And do you like your sparkly Elsa princess dress? Doesn't it look beautiful when you put it on and twirl around?"

Sunny remembered how fun it was to wear that dress, and she nodded happily.

Mommy continued, "Do you remember when we went to Disneyland? Were you happy when we saw Mickey Mouse and watched the fireworks?"

Sunny’s eyes lit up, and she cheered, "Yes! I love Disneyland the most!"

Finally, Mommy asked, "And tonight, I'm making your favorite dinner: spaghetti and meatballs with that yummy tomato sauce. Do you like that?"

Sunny licked her lips, her tummy already rumbling, and nodded as hard as she could. "I love it! I super love it!"

Mommy gently stroked Sunny’s cheek and explained softly, "Sunny, Daddy really, really wanted to stay home and build blocks with you today. But buying plush bunnies, sparkly princess dresses, tickets to Disneyland, and all the ingredients for a delicious spaghetti dinner takes money."

"Daddy goes to work so he can bring all this happiness back to you. He is trading his hard work and his time for all these wonderful things that you love. So, you see, it isn’t that Daddy doesn’t love you. He hides his love inside your stuffed bunny, inside your princess dress, and inside your favorite spaghetti dinner."

Sunny listened carefully, completely mesmerized. She looked down at the soft bunny in her arms, and suddenly, she could feel Daddy's love right there with her.

"Oh... Daddy goes to work so I can be an even happier little princess," Sunny whispered to herself. All the angry feelings in her heart completely melted away.

Later that evening, the sky grew dark, and the moon peeked over the treetops outside her window. From the front door came the sound of a key turning in the lock—click.

Daddy was home! He walked through the door looking very tired. He set down his heavy briefcase and managed an exhausted smile, bracing himself for Sunny to come running and begging to play games.

But Sunny didn't fuss, and she didn't beg. Instead, she ran over to Daddy, took his big hand in her little ones, and led him over to the squishy couch to sit down.

In her sweetest voice, Sunny asked, "Daddy, are you tired?"

Daddy’s eyes widened in surprise.

Sunny climbed up onto the couch, knelt behind him, and reached out her tiny hands. She began to gently squeeze Daddy’s broad shoulders. "Daddy, you worked so hard today! I'm going to give you a massage and chase all the tired bugs away!"

Daddy’s eyes got a little misty, and a warm feeling spread all through his chest. It felt like all his tiredness had magically vanished.

He turned around and pulled Sunny into a great big bear hug. "Thank you, Sunny. I feel so full of energy now! Let's go eat Mommy’s spaghetti and meatballs together!"

That night, Sunny slept soundly and had the sweetest dreams. She finally knew that even when Daddy wasn't home, his love was always right there with her.