Molly, a 17-year-old girl, was sitting by her mother’s coffin, mourning the loss of Daisy. It was supposed to be a day of remembrance, but it was also a day when everything in Molly’s life would begin to change.
“Look, Molly! Your dad’s here!” someone from the funeral whispered to her.
Molly turned her head in surprise. Danny, her father, had arrived. It had been ten years since he and Molly’s mother, Daisy, divorced. For all those years, Molly had heard only bad things about her dad. People called him a drunkard, a failure.
Molly didn’t hold any anger toward him, but she missed him. She had longed for a connection with him, even though she didn’t know how to bridge the gap between them.
Danny walked up to Molly with a warm smile. “Hey, sweetheart!” he said, hugging her tightly. He looked at Daisy’s coffin with a solemn expression before placing a wreath of flowers down.
“Sir, is that your truck?” a guest at the funeral asked Danny. “It’s blocking half the parking lot. Can you move it?”
Danny turned to the man. “Yeah, that’s ma truck. Give me a second. Just met ma daughter. Hope ya understand. Thanks!”
Molly couldn’t believe it. After all these years, Danny had come to her. The only contact she had with him during this time had been through the child support he sent, but Daisy never allowed him to see Molly. She had always feared that Danny would be a bad influence on their daughter.
Once the funeral was over, the guests left, and Danny made his way to Molly’s home. He packed up her belongings and said they were going to his house.
“What’s this?” Danny asked, holding up a parcel he found in the mail. A card attached read, “For Dad of the Year.”
Molly stared at it and frowned. “But why, Dad? I can’t leave this house. Mom and I lived here. This place is full of memories.” Her voice trembled with uncertainty.
“I know, sweetheart, but I can’t leave you here alone,” Danny said. Molly, who often used a wheelchair because of a condition in her left leg, had been unable to walk properly since she was six. Danny knew how hard it was for her, but he had made up his mind. “I’m not leaving you. We’re going to my place.”
A few days later, Molly moved into Danny’s house. It was small and messy, but it felt comforting. Molly slowly began to settle in. Danny was doing his best to make her feel at home, even though he didn’t know how to care for her the way a father should. He didn’t know how to braid her hair, for example, so he learned by watching online videos.
Though the house was simple, Danny made sure Molly had her own space. He bought her a fluffy new bed and gave her his room. Molly was touched by the sacrifices he was making for her. But there was something Molly didn’t know—every night, Danny disappeared.
Molly was curious. Every evening, when she’d go to bed, her father would leave. She imagined he was out at a pub, drinking with his friends, as her mother had often claimed.
One day, Molly came home from school, tears streaming down her face. The door was locked, and there was a note hidden behind a plant.
“The keys are under the pot. I’ll be back soon. See ya! – Dad”
Molly frowned, thinking about what her mother had said about Danny’s habits. “He’s probably out drinking,” she muttered to herself.
Hours passed, but Danny didn’t return. Molly, frustrated and hungry, cooked herself some pasta. She left some for her father, hoping he’d come home soon. But by the time she lay on her bed, all she could do was cry. “If only I were normal,” she whispered. “If I didn’t have this limp, I would have found a date for prom.”
The prom had been announced at school, and while all her classmates had found dates, Molly was left out. No one had shown any interest in her, and she felt invisible. “Who would want to dance with someone like me?” she thought bitterly.
Molly’s sobs were so loud that Danny heard them as soon as he got home.
“Hey, sweetheart! What happened? Why are you crying?” Danny asked, his voice filled with concern.
Molly wiped her eyes and sniffled. “I don’t have a date for prom. I asked some boys if they would at least dance with me, but they just laughed. No one wants to go with me, Dad! I don’t even want to go anymore. I want to be alone! Goodnight!”
She turned her back on him, burying her face in her pillow, tears soaking through the fabric. Danny’s heart ached seeing her so sad. He couldn’t stand the thought of his daughter feeling this way. The next day, he went out and bought her a beautiful prom dress.
On prom night, something truly unexpected happened. As Molly stood with her classmates, all of them in their fancy dresses and tuxedos, the roar of an engine broke through the air.
Danny’s truck screeched to a stop, and he jumped out, grinning. He walked over to Molly and helped her out of the truck. There, on the red carpet, Danny pushed Molly’s wheelchair, proudly showing her off as everyone stared in awe.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Danny lifted Molly from her chair and spun her in circles, dancing with her under the bright lights. For the first time in ages, Molly forgot about her disability. She laughed, carefree, as her dad twirled her around.
“My dad is my real superhero,” Molly later told her friends, tears streaming down her face. “I love him more than anything else in this world.”
The crowd couldn’t get enough of the father-daughter duo. Parents gathered around Danny, praising him for his love and dedication. He shared his story, how he had worked two jobs to take care of Molly, and how much he had sacrificed to make sure she had everything she needed.
But Danny hadn’t told anyone the full story. That night, after dropping Molly off to bed, he quietly slipped out of the house.
Danny had been working a second job as a caregiver at a nursing home. Despite his full-time job as a truck driver, he had taken on the second job to save money for Molly’s surgery.
When Molly was diagnosed with her condition, the doctors had told Danny and Daisy that she would never walk again. But one doctor had promised he could help Molly if they could afford the treatment.
Danny had made a decision to quit partying and working with friends at the pub. He focused solely on his daughter’s future, working tirelessly to save money for the surgery.
Daisy, however, misunderstood his intentions and thought he was wasting his time, which led to their divorce. Danny never gave up, even though it broke his heart when Daisy doubted him.
One morning, Danny arrived home from his shift to find a package waiting for him in the mailbox. It was from the parents who had seen him at prom with Molly. The card on the package read, “Dad of the Year.”
Inside was a check for $10,000, along with a note: “Dear Danny, we hope this will improve your daughter’s life. Best wishes for her surgery. Spend more time with her in the evenings. Your Prom Buddies!”
Danny was overcome with emotion. He shared the good news with Molly, and together, they celebrated. Molly’s surgery was a success. With the money Danny had saved and the generous donation, she was able to walk without crutches.
From then on, Danny quit his second job, and he spent all his free time with Molly. She got a scholarship to study architecture in another state, but before she left, Danny made sure they spent every moment together. He taught her to cook, dance, cycle, and even run.
Danny had always been there for Molly, even when no one else believed in her. He was her superhero, and he proved that with love and hard work, anything was possible.
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