[The following is a guest post from reader Scott Robinson. -Andrew]

Dressed in clean slacks, his nice dress shoes and one of his best shirts, he rang the doorbell.

A long moment later, the door crept open hesitantly and she peered around it. She burst into a big smile and leaped into his arms, completely forgetting that she was in her best dress.

Her mother – his ex – had taken the trouble to do her hair, a not-insignificant gesture, given her shallow understanding of this whole exercise. She lost a shoe mid-leap, and after a big hug, he sat her carefully back down on the front steps and slipped it back on for her.

He retrieved the white rose he’d been hiding behind his back and then dropped when he caught her, presenting it to her with silly formality. She giggled, delighted, and held his hand as he escorted her to the car and strapped her into the safety seat.

Before pulling out of the driveway, he asked her where she would like to have dinner, presenting her with options. Her choice was immediate.

Pizza!!!

Walking hand-in-hand with him through the restaurant, she beamed with pride as other parents noticed her outfit and complimented her. She felt so grown up that she pretended to read the menu, which she couldn’t, as he offered her options for pizza she hadn’t known existed. In the end, she went with something new: the extra cheese she was used to, plus pepperoni, which she knew Daddy liked. He quietly arranged with the server to have it half-and-half, in case the pepperoni wasn’t a hit with her.

Then it was off to the arcade until the pizza was done. She completely forgot she was in her best dress, and he completely failed to notice. Or care.

Over the pizza, he asked her about what she was doing in pre-school. She told him all about the new games, which ones she and her best friends preferred, and how the mean boys sometimes hogged them. He shared her disapproval. He then asked about her upcoming birthday, wondering what she would like for a present. She meandered through the possibilities, and he took careful note.

Movie! The new Pixar. Popcorn only. She crawled onto his lap halfway through, and almost fell asleep.

Ice cream?

Yes yes yes!

Single scoops, to minimize the sugar and Mom’s irritation if she didn’t go to sleep promptly. Great care was taken to protect the dress. Then, a final happy hand-in-hand stroll through the mall, singing some song from one of her TV shows, with Daddy getting most of the words wrong, even with her patient correction. As the moment ended, he squeezed her hand.

Sleep, in the SUV.

He intended to carry her, undisturbed, into her mother’s house, but she stirred as he unbuckled her, and insisted on walking to the door, hand-in-hand, carrying her white rose. As the moment ended, he squeezed her hand.

Ringing the doorbell, he knelt to her level, hugged her tightly, and kissed her cheek.

More than 200 white roses followed, as she grew.

- – -

Daddy, I know you can’t hear me … and if you could, I think you already know what I would say …

Any time now, the doctor had said.

She slipped her fingers into his, squeezed gently, knowing he could not respond.

The man standing behind me now … the father of my babies, my husband, my best friend … I have that because of you … because of all of our times together, as far back as I can remember … you taught me to look for him, to find the man who would treat me the way you did … always respecting me, treating me with kindness, adoring me as you did …

Quiet tears spilled.

You taught me never to settle for anything less. And I never did, Daddy … I waited for the right man, and all of our happiness, I owe to you …

She felt her husband’s strong, gentle hand on her shoulder.

I know I’ll be okay … we all will …

But how can I tell you goodbye?

And as the moment ended, he squeezed her hand.