"I am exhausted," 39-year-old Becky Healy laughed as she and her 18-year-old daughter Leah arrived back home to their apartment.

"Me too," Leah chuckled, flipping on the lights. Leah had just graduated from high school and she and Becky had returned from her graduation party, held in the backyard of her grandparents, Roseanne and Dan.

"I was going to start my thank-you notes tonight, but I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow. Thanks for keeping track of everything," Leah told Becky, sitting down on the couch.

"You're welcome," Becky smiled, sitting down next to her daughter. "I'll send you the list."

Leah smiled. "Thanks. I'm gonna go watch TV in my room for a while," Leah yawned and started to walk down the hallway.

"Wait a minute, hon," Becky called after her daughter. Leah turned.

"I know I already gave you a card and gift, but I do have one more thing for you. Granted, it's not from me," Leah looked at her mother quizzically as Becky went over to her purse and pulled out an envelope.

"Um…thank you," Leah smiled and took the envelope from her mother. She made her way to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

After slipping out of her party dress and cardigan and into her pajamas, Leah laid down on her bed and turned the envelope over. It read, "Leah Rebecca" on it in handwriting that seemed familiar to Leah, although she couldn't place where she had seen it before. Slowly, she opened it.

Leah remembered seeing this particular stationery on her mother's desk years ago. This definitely wasn't Mom's handwriting though. Leah began to read the letter.

My Dearest Leah,

Your mom asked me to write this for your high school graduation someday. She's been asking me since you were born. You haven't even started preschool yet, but I would like to do this now in case something were to happen to me. I've never been a good writer, but I'm going to try.

Your mom and I got married young - neither her parents or mine were happy about this. And I would be lying to you if I said it's been easy. But we love each other and we have always known that we wanted to have kids. It was very hard on us when we couldn't do that right away. But I'll never forget the day I came home from work to find out that your mother was going to have a baby. It was the second best day of my life - the first being the day that you were born.

You have taught me so much in the two years you've been alive - more than I had ever learned in the 22 years before you were born. I can't wait to watch you grow up and see all of the things that you will accomplish in your life - before and after graduation. I hope that I can be the father to you that I wish my brother, sisters, and I had had when we were growing up.

You deserve the world, baby. I'd give it to you in a heartbeat if I could - I'm just going to have to give you everything that I can.

Your Loving Father,

Mark Healy

Throughout her reading of the letter, Leah had had to blink back tears in order to be able to actually see the words. Some of the lines were especially painful to read "in case something were to happen to me" and "I can't wait to watch you grow up and see all of the things that you will accomplish in your life - before and after graduation."

Dad had been able to watch Leah grow up to a certain extent. But he hadn't lived long enough to even see her graduate from elementary school, as he had died in a motorcycle accident seven years ago, when Leah was just eleven years old. God, how she wished things had ended differently.

Since it had ended the way it did, though, Leah was glad she had this letter. Reaching out, she picked up the photograph of her dad that she kept on her nightstand and at some point, she fell asleep clutching the photo and the letter close to her chest.