A/n: Last couple chapters have lacked humor. I'll work on that moving onward.


Gracie's Journal 7/12/29


Mom and I were up by 5, we iced the cake and got dressed and ready. Mom and Dad had to get to work today, but we had to start Dad's day on the right foot. They don't usually leave the house until around 8, and Mom drug Dad out of bed at 6.

"Honey I'm tired, we still have like 2 hours, why am I up..." Dad groaned groggily as Mom drug him out of their bedroom.

He saw me sitting at the kitchen
table, with the cake and the card and the little wrapped box.

"What is this?" he turned to Mom and asked.

"Gracie, you do the honors," Mom said, gesturing towards me.

"Dad, yesterday, I was presented with some very disturbing news," I began,"about you, and your father, and how you think of yourself as a father."

Dad started to protest, but Mom
shushed him.

"Upon learning this, I was completely devastated. I needed a way to show you that you're actually the best father ever, and Mom reminded me you never got your Father's Day this year, thus, this."

Dad had woken up significantly, and was now glancing back and forth between Mom and I and the table.

"You did this, for me?" he asked,
pointing and twirling his finger around at everything.

"Mhm." I nodded.

"All last night?" he asked.

"Yeah, except for the present. We already had that, for you know, actual Father's Day." I said.

"You baked a cake?"

Mom and I nodded again.

"Is it edible?" he asked.
"You have such little faith in us," Mom laughed.

"I just don't know what to say," Dad said, running his hand over his scruff, and his other through his messy hair nervously.

"Don't say anything, just take a plate and have some breakfast cake." I said.

Dad laughed. For real.

And he bit into the cake tentitivly. And then he was shoving it into
his mouth in big bites.

"This is good cake," he mumbled.

Mom and I high-fived under the table.

Then, we were on to cards.

Mom declared hers got to go first.

Mom had colored a raccoon on the front eating a fern. Dad laughed again and opened it up and read it aloud. "We're kickass parents together. PS: Am I
allowed to call you my hubby?

I about choked on my cake.
That was only slightly embarrassing and out of character for my mother. I take it she was not expecting that to be read aloud.

But Dad was in such a good mood now, and he reached for my card eagerly.

The outside of my card was simple: Dad,
And he began to read.

Dear Dad,
Dad. Its a simple three letter word, but it has so much more meaning. When I think of you, I think of sunshine, the beach, and surfing. I think of that time where you fell asleep on the beach and got sun poisining so bad that you couldn't walk for like 3 days. I think of the time you jumped on the trampoline with my friends and I. I think of these countless memories. But I also think of kindness, compassion, caring,
and this never ending love that you give to me, this love I can't seem to put into words. Dad, you aren't just a father to me. You're my best friend. You're the best man I know. You show me that even when there is evil in this world there's hope for us. Because you exist. You are hope, Dad. (His voice started to crack, his eyes were watering.) When we lost Monty, when we almost lost Mom, you comforted me. You held on to me tight in hugs that made me feel safe. You put Mom and me before you in
everything you do. I'm such a blessed person to be your daughter, in ways you'll really never know. I love you Dad. You are the best. Never think otherwise, because you're just lying to yourself.

Love, Grace Deeks (because I am the second happiest girl in the world to take your last name, next to Mom.)

When he finished reading, he set the card down. Tears freely rolled down his cheeks, and I glanced
over to see that they were rolling down Mom's face too.
"Come here," Dad comanded softly. I did exactly as he told me to, and he pulled me into his strong arms and held me there. I squeezed him tightly.

"Thank you so much baby girl. This means the world to me," he said shakily.

"I mean it, Dad. All of it," I said back to him.

"I believe all of it," Dad sniffled
and smiled.

The present was kind of blown over after that, it was just a watch after all, but there were other things on his mind.

They've finally left for work and I am alone. Time to get back into Grandpa Blye's journal, I guess.

-Gracie