On a cool morning, sisters Madison, 8, and Isla, 6, put on their new dresses to visit their father’s grave. It was Brian’s birthday — his first since passing — and he’d once told them, “You have to look your prettiest for me on my birthday.”
Their mother, Linda, drove them to the cemetery, her heart aching. Since Brian’s death from cancer, she’d been doing her best to keep his spirit alive for the girls.
When they reached his grave, two beautifully wrapped boxes sat waiting — one for each girl, labeled From Daddy.
“Mommy! Daddy sent us gifts!” Isla squealed. Madison, older and wiser, stayed quiet but opened hers carefully. Inside were new Mary Jane shoes — pink for Isla, blue for Madison — and a letter in Brian’s handwriting.
In the note, Brian wrote that angels in heaven said his daughters were the most beautiful girls God ever made, and he wanted them to have these shoes to make them even more perfect. He teased them about sneaking cookies and reminded them to smile, be kind to their mom, and never forget how much he loved them.
As the girls laughed and twirled in their dresses, Linda fought back tears. She knew the truth — Brian had bought the shoes before he died, and she had written the letters herself, imitating his warmth and humor. She just wanted his love to reach them one more time.
When Madison hugged her and whispered, “I know it was you, Mom. But I think Dad wanted you to,” Linda realized her daughter was right — the love was real because it had always been his.
That night, Isla snuck cookies from the kitchen. “Daddy said we have to be a little naughty,” she giggled. For the first time in months, Linda laughed too.
She looked up at the stars and whispered, “They wore their prettiest dresses, Brian.”
Love, she realized, doesn’t end when life does — it lives on in the smiles, laughter, and small acts of love we keep sharing.