To honor their father’s last wish, two young girls visit his grave on his birthday to show him their cute new dresses. Near the headstone, they spot two beautifully wrapped boxes with their names on them, not knowing what surprises are inside.
Six-year-old Isla and her sister, Madison, who is eight, missed their dad, Brian, deeply. Since he had passed away, their lives felt different. They no longer sneaked cookies and ice cream from the kitchen at night, teamed up to tease their mom, or went shopping like they used to. Without Daddy Brian, those little adventures just weren’t the same.
“You’re spoiling those girls, Brian!” his wife, Linda, would often say with a laugh. “Why do you always gang up against me? I know you’re sneaking them treats from the pantry!”
“Well, I’ll spoil them for the rest of my life!” Brian would say, smiling widely. “They will always come first for me as long as I live! I’m sorry, honey, but you’ve got competition! And you know, I love all my girls—including you,” he’d say, hugging her.
Brian was that kind of person, always balancing everything with love. He was the perfect family man. But after he passed, everything changed. Isla and Madison grew quiet, and Linda, his wife, struggled to cope with his loss.
Linda’s last memories of Brian were heartbreaking. She watched him lose a battle to stage four cancer, feeling helpless. Doctors tried their best, but the illness took him away. Brian’s health kept getting worse, and one morning, he didn’t wake up. Isla and Madison had slept beside him in the hospital the night before, as Brian had asked. He probably sensed it was his last night with them.
At 4 a.m. the next day, Linda called the doctors, worried. They gently informed her, “Time of death: 4 a.m. Tuesday…” Linda was devastated, staring as they covered Brian’s face with a white hospital sheet.
After his death, Linda couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye. Her daughters, though, were braver—they attended his funeral. Linda, however, couldn’t bear to watch him being buried.
One of Brian’s last wishes was for his girls to visit him on his birthday, wearing their best outfits. “I want my little girls to look their prettiest. You must promise to visit me,” he had said. So, the day before his birthday, the girls asked Linda to take them shopping.
“Mommy,” Isla said, “Daddy loved my red dress. He got me one for my birthday. I want a red dress.”
“You can pick for me, Mom,” Madison added. “I want it to be Dad’s favorite color.”
Linda hesitated, still in grief. “I—I don’t think I can, girls,” she said, trying to avoid the topic.
“But we need to visit Daddy!” Isla insisted. “He wanted us to wear something pretty on his birthday.”
Linda’s heart softened, realizing she’d forgotten his birthday. “What did he ask you?” she asked, teary-eyed.
“Daddy wanted to see us in pretty dresses on his birthday,” Isla replied. “We have to go shopping, Mommy!”
Linda hadn’t known this was Brian’s last wish. Madison explained, “The night before he died, he held our hands and asked. Please, Mom? Isla misses Daddy a lot.”
Madison was wise for her age, sensing how important this was. Finally, she convinced Linda to go shopping.
“Alright,” Linda said. “Let’s get you both the prettiest outfits so Daddy knows what he’s missing!” She burst into tears, and her daughters hugged her.
“Dad wouldn’t want you to be sad, Mom,” Madison whispered.
The next day, on Brian’s birthday, the girls dressed up and walked hand-in-hand to his grave, with Linda following behind.
When they reached his grave, they spotted two wrapped boxes with their names on them. A small note on top said they were from Brian.
“Mommy!” Isla called out. “Look, Daddy left us gifts! He’s so silly—he doesn’t know we should give him gifts on his birthday!”
Madison exchanged a glance with Linda, understanding that the gifts couldn’t really be from Brian.
” Well, maybe he missed his daughters,” Linda smiled. “Go ahead and open them.”
The girls unwrapped the boxes, and Linda tried to hide her tears. Isla beamed with joy, while Madison cried for the first time since Brian’s death.
Inside each box was a lovely pair of pink Mary Janes and a letter from Brian.
“Shoes!” Isla exclaimed. “My favorite color!”
The letter read:
“My prettiest girls,
The angels here say you’re the most beautiful girls ever. I wanted to make you even prettier, so I picked these shoes. I hope you like them.
Remember, I’m not around you, but I’m always in your heart. I know you’re not sneaking cookies anymore. Don’t tell Mommy, but I saw her filling the pantry with cookies again! Next time, I want to hear stories about how you managed to sneak some. Just because Daddy isn’t there doesn’t mean you have to be perfectly good all the time.
Thank you for visiting me, and happy birthday to my beautiful girls. Daddy loves you and misses you.
With love,
Brian.”
“That’s too much to read!” Isla said. “Madison, what did Daddy say?”
Madison hugged her tightly. “He said he’s happy and wants us to be happy, too. He misses us. Thank you for this, Mom,” she added, knowing Linda was behind the gifts.
Linda smiled, grateful for her girls, who helped her step out of her grief and gave her the strength to honor Brian’s memory.
I Knew My Future Mother-in-Law Didn’t Like Me, but I Never Imagined the Plans She Had Against Me — Story of the Day
Falling in love felt perfect—until his family turned my life upside down. His mother didn’t think I was good enough and made it her mission to prove it. Secrets, lies, and a test of trust pushed me to my limit. I had to decide if love was enough to overcome everything against us.
If I had known what my future mother-in-law would be like, I would have told Dean to introduce us at the wedding. At least then, I would have been prepared for her icy glares and sharp comments.
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But not everything in life can be predicted, so I met Martha even before Dean and I got engaged.
Saying she hated me would be an understatement—she saw me as completely unworthy of her son. I was nothing like his ex-wife, Kate.
Yes, Dean had been married before. They divorced after she cheated on him with his cousin, who also happened to be his best friend—or rather, his former best friend.
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That whole situation was a mess I couldn’t imagine surviving. Thankfully, there were no children involved.
I don’t know how I would have handled that added layer of complexity. Still, the fact that Martha stayed in touch with Kate, despite everything, was enough to make me question myself.
But I was lucky with Dean. He was the best man I had ever met—kind, patient, and fiercely loyal.
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He loved me, supported me in every way, and I loved him just as deeply. The rest didn’t seem to matter as much.
That evening, we had a rare date night planned. A cozy dinner at a nice restaurant followed by a movie.
We’d both been so busy lately that it felt overdue. Just as I was putting on my earrings, a knock at the door interrupted us. I frowned. We weren’t expecting anyone.
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“I’ll get it,” I called to Dean, heading to the door. When I opened it, there she was—Martha. Her piercing gaze scanned me up and down.
“Oh, where are you all dressed up for?” Martha’s voice had an edge as sharp as her stare. No hello, no smile, no warmth. Then, as if to twist the knife, she added, “Off to seduce someone else’s husband?”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Dean and I are going on a date. Was there something you needed?” I kept my tone steady, though my patience was already wearing thin.
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“I just wanted to have dinner with my son,” she said, crossing her arms. “Is that so unreasonable?”
“Sorry, but we already have plans for tonight,” I said, standing my ground.
“Plans can be changed. A mother is more important than any plan. You should know that if you were a proper daughter-in-law. Kate always made time for me,” Martha said, her voice rising with every word.
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I clenched my jaw and looked away, too drained to keep up this argument.
“Who’s at the door?” Dean called from the bedroom.
“Darling, it’s me,” Martha called out sweetly, her tone shifting entirely.
Dean walked into the room, frowning when he saw her. “Mom, why didn’t you call first? We already have plans.”
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“Yes, Alice told me that,” Martha said, ignoring his concern. “But I haven’t seen you in so long. I thought I’d drop by.”
“I visited you last week,” Dean replied firmly.
“A mother can’t miss her son?” she snapped, throwing her hands in the air.
“She can, but we’ve already made plans,” Dean said. “I’ll come visit you soon.”
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Martha glared at me as if I’d personally insulted her. “This is all her doing! She’s turning you against me!”
Dean sighed. “Alice hasn’t said a word. Mom, please, no drama.”
Martha turned to me, her eyes blazing. “You’ll pay for this!” Then, she stormed out, slamming the door so hard the walls seemed to shake.
“I’m sorry about that,” Dean said, wrapping his arms around me.
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“It’s okay. Thank you for standing up for me,” I said softly, kissing him.
A few days after the incident with Martha, I was at home after work, sorting through wedding plans scattered across the table.
The list of tasks felt endless, but I was determined to make everything perfect. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
For a moment, I thought Dean must have forgotten his keys again. Then I remembered—he’d planned to visit Martha after work. Curious, I walked to the door and opened it.
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There stood Martha. She brushed past me without a word and walked straight into the house.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice firm.
“How polite of you,” Martha said with a sarcastic smirk. Her tone dripped with disdain.
“You didn’t even say hello,” I pointed out, crossing my arms.
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“I don’t see the need to greet someone like you,” she shot back, her eyes narrowing.
I clenched my jaw but kept my tone steady. “Why are you here? Dean went to see you after work.”
“Oh, yes,” Martha said, her smirk widening. “It just so happened that Kate dropped by for tea, so I left them alone. They deserve a second chance.”
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Her words hit me like a slap. “What did you do?” I asked, my voice shaking with shock.
“Let’s be honest, Alice—you’re not right for him,” she said, stepping closer. “His perfect woman is Kate. I know it, Kate knows it, and deep down, Dean knows it too. He just needed a reminder.”
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I squared my shoulders, refusing to let her see how much she rattled me. “This is crossing every line. I understand you don’t like me, but Dean and I are getting married in two months. I love him, and he loves me. You have no right to decide who’s best for him. And honestly, do you really want your son to go back to a woman who cheated on him with his cousin?”
Martha scoffed, waving off my words. “People make mistakes. Kate still loves Dean and regrets what happened. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
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I shook my head, done with the conversation. “I’ve had enough. I’m calling Dean.”
“You can try, but I took his phone,” she said smugly, her arms crossed.
“You’re unbelievable,” I said, turning toward the door. She stepped into my path.
“If you don’t move, I’ll call the police and report that I’m being held against my will,” I replied, pulling out my phone.
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“You wouldn’t dare,” she hissed, but I was already dialing.
“911, what’s your emergency?” the dispatcher asked.
“Hello—” I started, but Martha lunged forward, snatching the phone from my hands and ending the call.
Fuming, I pushed past her and opened the door. As I walked to my car, she screamed after me, calling me a witch who was ruining her son’s life. I didn’t look back. I had no time for her games.
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I drove to Martha’s house, planning to walk straight in, but doubt crept in as I reached the door.
I paused, gripping the car keys tightly in my hand. Part of me feared that Dean might choose her over me. After all, he and Kate had spent eight years together.
Instead of going inside, I moved quietly toward the living room window. Inside, I saw Dean and Kate standing face to face in the center of the room.
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Tears streamed down Kate’s cheeks, falling freely onto her blouse. Dean’s expression, however, was unreadable. He stood still, listening, but his shoulders were tense.
My heart sank at the sight of them together. A voice in my head whispered over and over, louder each time, that he wouldn’t choose me.
Suddenly, Kate stepped closer. Before I could process what was happening, she leaned in and kissed Dean. My heart dropped to my stomach. I froze, unable to look away.
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To my relief, I saw Dean push her back. He wiped his lips roughly with his sweater sleeve, his face twisting with anger. Without hesitating, he turned and stormed out of the house.
He spotted my car immediately. His eyes scanned the area until they landed on me.
Without a word, he walked straight over and pulled me into a tight hug. The moment his arms wrapped around me, I felt tears on my face I hadn’t realized were there.
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“They set this all up. I didn’t want to see Kate,” Dean said, his voice firm. His hands rested on my shoulders as he looked into my eyes.
I nodded, feeling a wave of relief. “I saw you push her away,” I said, my voice quiet but steady.
“Because I don’t want anyone but you,” he said. His words felt like a shield around me, strong and certain. I hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go.
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“Is my mom at our place?” Dean asked after a moment.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Let’s go. I have something to say to her,” he said. His tone left no room for argument.
We drove separately back to our house. My hands trembled on the steering wheel, but I kept going.
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When we walked in, holding hands, Martha’s face changed. Surprise flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by irritation.
“You didn’t talk to Kate?” Martha asked, narrowing her eyes.
“I did, though I didn’t want to. Now I’ll talk to you. I’ve had enough of you interfering in my life. I don’t want this to continue. From now on, we’re done,” Dean said, his voice firm.
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“What?! But I’m your mother! I’m your family!” Martha shouted, her voice rising.
“Alice is my family. You can’t accept that, so I see no other option,” Dean said, squeezing my hand.
“I knew this was all her fault! That witch turned you against me!” Martha screamed. Her words hit like stones, but I stood firm beside Dean.
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“You did this to yourself. Alice isn’t to blame. Now, please leave our home,” Dean said.
“This is outrageous! How could you do this?” Martha yelled, her face red with anger.
“Mom, please, don’t make me force you out,” Dean said, his tone calm but resolute.
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Martha huffed, glaring at both of us. Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
“Are you sure this was the right decision?” I asked, my voice soft.
“When it comes to you and our family, I never have any doubts,” Dean said. His words brought a smile to my face, and I kissed him, knowing we were stronger together.
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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: Meeting my fiancé’s parents should have been exciting, but nothing prepared me for the tension and judgment that followed. Between the quiet stares, sharp words, and unexpected secrets, the evening turned into a whirlwind I’ll never forget.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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