It was the day of my little girl's tonsil surgery. Okay, she wasn't mine in a biblical or biological sense, but I she is my wife's daughter and I love her. She is a beautiful Bottecelli painting of an angel child with her golden curls and big blue eyes. Her smile could light up the world and she has a heart of gold. The thought of her going under the knife is killing me inside more than anyone knows. The thought of any of my children going through something traumatic such as surgery makes me go mad with worry and sorrow. I know it's a simple thing that surgeons do all the time, but they don't do it on my kids.

The thing that is driving me crazy the most? That my wife cannot bear this with me. She, too, is having the same exact surgery as Cindy. I think this has to be harder on her because naturally, being her mother, she wants to be there for her daughter and she can't. I'll be torn between two of my loves. Lord, please help this go smoothly.

Cindy is the first one to be prepped and I follow her into the room with the doctor and nurses. My wife starts to tear up as she kisses her and strokes her forhead before they wheel her in.

"She'll be okay, Sweetheart," I whisper as I kiss her cheek.

"I love you, Mike," she kisses my lips. "Thank you. I so want to be in there with her and you."

"You just relax," I gather her into a hug. "You'll both be just fine."

"Mr. Brady, are you coming?" The nurse asks.

"Yes," I untangle myself from my wife and hurredly walk into the room where they are going to prep her. I meet up with the nurse as she informs me about the protocol of the procedure when I begin to hear my daughter scream. I instinctively run for her.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

I wrap her in my arms as soon as I reach her bed. She's scared and it's my job to calm her. I hate telling her to be strong when I understand why she's scared. I would be, too.

"Mr. Brady, she won't let me give her the anestetic. Would you like to talk her through this part."

"No, Daddy," she's squeezing to me tightly. "I'm scared I'm not going to wake up!"

"It's okay, Sweetheart, you're okay," I kiss her forehead and I lay her back down. She's fighting me but I know how to calm her. I begin to tickle her belly and soon she starts to giggle a little between her tears. "It'll be just like taking a nap. I'll be here when you wake up, just like I am back at home."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now please be a good girl and do as they say."

"Okay," she says giving in and giving me one last kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Honey," I say kissing her back. "I'm going to leave now but you'll be okay. Like I said, I'll be here when you wake up."

"Thank you, Mr. Brady," the doctor says smiling as I walk out the door.

"No problem."

I just want to break down and cry now. That was so hard for me to see my little girl like that. I quickly regain my composure as I reach my wife in back in the waiting room. I'm not going to tell her what just happened. The last thing she needs is to know that.

"Oh Mike," she says running up to hug me. "How was she?"

"Like an angel. She is a strong girl just like her mother."

That last comment gave me a lot of points. Carol's arms move from my back and up to my neck. Her lips press up against mine and I blush, people are beginning to stare. Oh let them, I think to myself, I love my wife and mother of my kids.

"That's why you were father of the year," she says smiling at me.

"I better get a repeat recognition after today," I say half-jokingly.