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 Saw All the Kids Avoiding My Son on Vacation — When I Asked Why, My Heart Broke
Taking my son on vacation felt like a dream come true, but watching the other kids avoid him was a nightmare I didn’t expect. When I confronted them, the truth shattered my heart… and had me marching towards the real culprits: their moms!
Taking my six-year-old son, Jack, on a trip was a dream that I spent years in the making. I’d saved for months to afford a few days at an exclusive seaside resort.
A resort next to the beach | Source: Midjourney
It was the kind of place that boasted private memberships for the well-to-do families who could afford it year-round but also offered guest passes for people like me.
The price wasn’t cheap, but the promise of a pristine beach, a sparkling pool, and endless activities for kids made it worth it. Jack deserved it. As a single mom, I didn’t get many chances to spoil him, and I was determined to make this vacation special.
A woman and her son at a resort lobby | Source: Midjourney
The day we arrived, his eyes went wide. “Mom, look at the pool! It’s so big! And that slide! Can we go swimming right now?”
“Let’s check in and unpack first,” I laughed, walking into the lobby of the hotel area. “But don’t worry, buddy. We’ll have plenty of time to explore everything.”
We reached the receptionist’s desk, and I was smiling like a mad woman. It was such a happy moment that I barely noticed the two ladies standing with their expensive bags and getting help from another attendant.
Two women looking at something in the lobby of a resort | Source: Midjourney
But I should’ve noted how they wrinkled their noses in my direction. It would’ve saved me a lot of trouble… and heartache.
***
That afternoon, Jack and I headed to the main pool. It was massive, with cabanas around the edges and a waterslide that twisted down into the shallow end.
The pool of a luxury resort | Source: Midjourney
My boy clutched his new beach ball and immediately spotted a group of kids playing catch in the water.
“Mom, can I go play with them?” he asked eagerly.
“Of course,” I said, smiling as he trotted over.
I watched as he approached the children with his usual confidence. “Hi! Can I play too?”
The kids stopped and stared at him, then glanced at each other. A few whispered, and then, without a word, they turned and swam away.
Kids by the pool | Source: Midjourney
I frowned as Jack returned to me.
“Mom,” he said. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, sweetheart,” I assured him, though I was confused too. “Sometimes kids are just shy. Don’t let it bother you, okay? Maybe try again later.”
He nodded, but I saw that his initial excitement had dwindled.
A sad kid by the pool | Source: Midjourney
Unfortunately, this incident wasn’t isolated. It was a pattern I noticed by the second day. No matter where we went, like the pool, the beach, or even the kids’ club, Jack kept trying to join in, and the other children kept ignoring him.
“Mommy,” he asked that night back in our hotel room, “why don’t they want to play with me? Did I make them mad?”
“You didn’t make anyone mad,” I said, pulling him close. “You’re a wonderful kid, Jack. If they don’t want to play with you, that’s their loss.”
A mother and son talking in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
But inside, my heart was breaking.
By the third day, I couldn’t take it anymore. Watching Jack’s confidence crumble with each rejection felt unbearable. I could play with him, of course, but I also wanted him to be able to play with kids his age.
So, that afternoon, I spotted the same group of boys by the pool and walked over. I schooled my expression and remained perfectly cheerful.
A woman walking by a pool | Source: Midjourney
“Hi there,” I said, crouching slightly to look less intimidating. “Can I ask you something? Why don’t you want to play with my son? He’s a really nice boy.”
The kids froze and exchanged nervous glances. Finally, one of them who seemed older than the rest, stepped forward shyly.
“Um… it’s not him,” he said, shuffling his feet. “It’s you.”
“Me?” I asked, stunned.
A woman looking surprsied and upset | Source: Midjourney
The boy nodded. “My mom and all the other moms said we’re not supposed to play with him because of you.”
I felt a pit in my stomach. “Why would they say that?”
He hesitated, then blurted, “Because you were on some TV show, a reality show, where people fight and act dramatic. Mom said you thought you were better than everyone else and didn’t follow the rules. And… that you were mean to everyone.”
A woman yelling on a beach with cameras around her | Source: Midjourney
I sighed. It was so hard to believe that part of my past was still coming to haunt me.
“Thank you for telling me,” I said, nodding to the boy. Then, I looked to the left and saw a group of women, looking toward us as they lounged by the pool.
Clearly, those were The Moms. I knew immediately the type of women they were, from their postures to their clothes to their stares. They probably had memberships at this resort and came often.
Elegant women laughing by the pool | Source: Midjourney
They must also feel entitled to control the social life of this place. They certainly had an eye on who their kids played with.
But what’s more, I recognized the way they stared at me. I’d seen it many times before from others who thought they knew me because of a show. So, after saying bye to the kids with a real smile (as this wasn’t their fault), I rose and marched straight to their moms.
“Excuse me,” I said, my voice sharp enough to interrupt their chatter and make them look up from their cocktails.
An angry woman with her hands on her hips by the pool | Source: Midjourney
“Hi,” said one of them, squinting her eyes. She flashed a fake, tight smile, her nose pinched like she was above talking to me.
For some reason, I knew she was the ringleader of this group.
“Hi,” I responded flatly. “I just spoke to the kids. I know what you’ve been gossiping about me, and I need to make one thing clear: you don’t get to punish my son for whatever you think I did years ago.”
A woman pointing a finger by the pool | Source: Midjourney
The Queen Bee’s grin faltered. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Oh, don’t play dumb,” I snapped. “Your kids told me everything. You’ve been telling them not to play with my son because of some ridiculous gossip about a TV show I was on. A show, by the way, that I left because I refused to participate in the drama and fake storylines the producers were pushing.”
TV producers on an island | Source: Midjourney
Another mom shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “Well, it wasn’t just gossip…”
“Yes, it was,” I said, cutting her off. “I stood up for myself and walked away, and if that makes me ‘a diva’ or ‘mean’ in your eyes, so be it.”
The ringleader crossed her arms. “Look, we were just trying to look out for our kids. You wouldn’t understand—”
Women looking upset by the pool | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” I said, my voice rising. “You’re teaching your kids to judge others based on lies or what some show told you to believe. What kind of example is that? At least there’s hope for them because they told me the truth. Now, I can’t push them to play with my kid, but stop lying to them.”
None of the women responded to that, and they all took pains to avoid my eyes.
“Have a good day!” I snapped and stormed off.
A woman by the pool walking away | Source: Midjourney
Later that day, while Jack and I were building sandcastles on the beach, I noticed one of the moms walking toward me. I told my son to go fetch more water, in case she was coming to say something mean.
She hesitated a few feet away from me, as if stalling, and watched Jack run to the sea. But her steps continued after a second.
“Hi,” she said softly.
I looked up, bored. “What do you want?” I asked, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.
A woman looking up from her spot on a sandy beach | Source: Midjourney
“I… I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she said, rushing her words. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have judged you or your son. I also shouldn’t have said a thing to my kids. It wasn’t fair.”
I blinked but nodded slowly. “Okay…” I said. “So, you’re the only one who’s sorry?”
She shook her head and raised her hand. “No, no, no! Actually, they all feel the same way. They’re just… embarrassed. So, I came forward to apologize. We already told the children that we were wrong.”
An elegant woman at the beach | Source: Midjourney
I breathed a sigh. “Alright. I appreciate that.”
She smiled brightly, and now that I wasn’t so angry, I thought she looked beautiful, like a classic Hollywood actress.
A second later, I spotted the Queen Bee walking toward us with two other moms in tow. They apologized as well, and their words felt genuine.
I nodded, accepting their remorse, but I wasn’t sure all was clear. After all, my son was still without friends here.
A woman standing by sandcastles | Source: Midjourney
Speaking of Jack… I turned to look for him by the sea and smiled as my heart swelled. The kids had already gathered around him, and suddenly, they broke into a game of tag.
When I turned back to look at the moms, they were also smiling at the children.
A moment later, the classic Hollywood actress linked her arm with mine. “I’m Julie. Do you want to have a drink with us?” she asked eagerly.
And with that, the rest of the vacation was exactly what I envisioned. I had fun with my boy by the pool and by the beach. I even socialized a lot with the moms, although cautiously.
A mother and son running at the beach | Source: Midjourney
Jack had the fun I hoped he would, and that was more than enough to make me forget about the initial hiccup.
What’s more, this trip reminded me more than ever that adults set the example. If we admit our mistakes, apologize, and do better, our kids will notice. They’ll follow suit.
I’m not perfect, but I try to be the best version of myself, so my son strives for the same.
A mother and son on a porch swing | Source: Midjourney
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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