Romy wiped the sweat from his forehead as he lifted
another box of baby clothes and diapers. He glanced at the clock on the wall.
It was almost noon, and the temperature outside was already scorching. He
wondered how Julie was coping with the heat, being nine months pregnant and due
any day now.
“Hey, honey, where do you want me to put this?” he
called out to his wife, who was sitting on the couch, sorting through some
papers and documents.
“Um, just stack it over there with others,” Julie said,
pointing to a corner of the living room that was already piled high with bags
and boxes. “We need to make sure we have everything ready when we go to the
hospital.”
Romy nodded and carried the box to the designated
spot. He looked around the room and felt a surge of excitement and nervousness.
He couldn’t believe that he was going to be a father soon. He had always
dreamed of having a family of his own, especially since he had lost his parents
when he was a teenager. He had been raised by his aunt and uncle, who were kind
and loving, but he still missed his mom and dad every day.
He turned to Julie and smiled. She was his angel, his
soulmate, his everything. They had met in college and fell in love at first
sight. They had been married for three years now, and they were ready to
welcome their first child into the world. They didn’t know the gender yet, but
they had already picked out names: Romy Jr. if it was a boy, or Julie Anne if
it was a girl.
“Are you okay, babe?” Romy asked, walking over to
Julie and kissing her forehead. “Do you need anything? Water? Ice cream? A
massage?”
Julie laughed and shook her head. “I’m fine, thank
you. You’re so sweet. But I think we should take a break soon. It’s too hot to
work like this.”
“Maybe we should go to the mall or something,” he
suggested. “Get some fresh air and cool off.”
Julie frowned. “I don’t know, Romy. I don’t feel like
going out today. What if I go into labor in public? That would be so embarrassing.”
Romy chuckled. “Don’t worry about that, honey. You’ll be fine. Besides, we have our hospital bag ready in the car, just in case.”
Julie sighed. “I want to finish sorting these papers first.”
Romy nodded. He knew that Julie was a perfectionist
and liked to have everything organized and planned ahead of time. He admired
her for that, but sometimes he wished she would relax more and enjoy the
moment.
He decided to let her do her thing while he went to
their bedroom to change his shirt.
Romy opened the drawer in the cabinet. As he did so, he
noticed a brown envelope tucked under some books. He pulled it out and
recognized it immediately. It was an old letter that he had written to his dad
when he was in grade school – his schoolwork for Father’s Day assigned by his
teacher to the class.
He felt a pang of nostalgia as he opened the envelope
and took out the faded piece of bond paper. His letter was entitled To the
Best Dad in The World with a flat piece of golden ribbon marked The Best
fastened by his teacher to the paper.
He took a deep breath and read the letter slowly.
Dear Dad,
Happy Father’s Day! You
are the best dad in the world because you are always there for me when I need
you. You teach me how to ride a bike, how to play basketball, how to do math homework,
and how to be a good person.
You are also very witty
and fun to be with. You make me laugh with your jokes and stories. You take me
to the park, the movies, the zoo, and other cool places.
You are also very smart
and strong. You know everything about everything. You can fix anything that is
broken. You can lift me with one arm.
You are also very kind
and loving. You hug me and kiss me every day. You tell me that you love me and
that you are proud of me.
You are my hero, Dad. I
want to be just like you when I grow up.
I love you so much, Dad.
Your son,
Romy
Romy
smiled and felt a tear roll down his cheek. He remembered how happy he was when
he showed his dad his letter. His dad hugged him and thanked him for the
wonderful gift. His dad had also written something on the back of the paper and
told him to read it later.
Romy flipped over the paper and read his dad’s letter.
It was entitled “Dad’s Ten Commandments.”
Dear Romy,
Thank you for your beautiful letter. You are the best
son in the world and I love you more than anything. You make me very happy and
proud every day.
Since you want to be like me when you grow up, I want
to give you some advice on how to be a good father. Here are my ten
commandments for you:
1. You shall always love your child unconditionally, no
matter what.
2. You shall always support your child’s dreams, even if
they seem crazy or impossible.
3. You shall always listen to your child’s feelings, even
if they don’t make sense or are hard to hear.
4. You shall always respect your child’s opinion, even if
they are different from yours or are wrong.
5. You shall always teach your child right from wrong but
also let them learn from their own mistake.
6. You shall always protect your child from harm, but
also let them face their challenges.
7. You shall always encourage your child to try new
things but also let them have their preferences.
8. You shall always have fun with your child but also set
boundaries and rules.
9. You shall always be honest with your child, but also
be gentle and tactful.
10. You shall always be a good role model for your child,
but also admit your flaws and apologize when you mess up.
These are my ten commandments for you, Romy. Follow
them and you will be a great father someday.
I love you so much, son.
Your dad
Romy smiled and took a deep breath.
He wished his dad could see him now, about to become a
father himself. He wondered what his dad would say to him, what jokes he would
crack.
He wished he could hug his dad one more time and tell
him how much he missed him and loved him. He wished he could introduce his dad
to Julie and their baby. He wished he could celebrate Father’s Day with his
dad.
He looked
at the piece of paper one last time and saw something scribbled on the margin
of his dad’s letter. It was a note that he had written last year, on Father’s
Day:
“Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I know you’re happy with Mom
in God’s loving arms.”
He took a pen and added another note below it:
“Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I’m going to be a dad soon.
I hope I can make you proud.”
He put the envelope back in the drawer and closed it gently.
He heard Julie yell from the living room.
“Honey, it’s time to go!”
He grabbed his shirt and ran out of the bedroom.
He was ready to go to the hospital.
He was ready to meet his baby.
He was ready to be a father.
Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft
Bing AI-powered co-pilot
Head photo courtesy of istockphoto.com
Video clips courtesy of YouTube
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