❝Daddy! Daddy, happy father's day!❞ the little girl gladly approaches her father, smile bright and wide. She holds out a hand made card, something she likely made in school. Upon the item being taken from her hands, she wrapped her little arms around him and squeezed his waist as she could with her small, young body. ❝I love you, Daddy.❞
For once not locked away in his office, Alaric had only gotten up from the couch to get himself a drink from the kitchen. There he was greeted with the sound of the front door opening and closing and little feet rushing towards him. Checking the clock he confirmed that yes, it was about the time Ada got home from school. He needed to remember to look at the clock more often and get himself into his office before she got there next time; she was finally learning not to come into daddy’s office because when in there it meant that he was working.
Fathers day? Oh right, right, so it was. Alaric took the card from his daughter’s hands, a floppy thing made of construction paper, glitter pens, and marker. It had “Happy Fathers Day” scrawled on its front in childish handwriting that Ada really needed to improve, it was barely legible. Not only that, but it seemed the glitter paint hadn’t completely dried and he found himself with the sticky red glue on his hand.
“Sighing irritably but not forcing his daughter from him, Alaric half turned around to face the kitchen sink and wash the paint from his hand, setting the card haphazardly on the counter next to it. “Thank you, Ada,” was all he said.