A teenage girl is deeply ashamed of her father until one day her classmates come to her house and express their respect and admiration for him.
Every father wants to be their little girl’s hero. Sally’s father was no different. Unfortunately, Sally wasn’t proud of her father. She never wanted him to pick her up from school or her soccer games.
Sally was ashamed of her father, and he knew it. He embarrassed her, and knowing that broke her heart. She never imagined that one day he would be everyone’s hero.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Jeff Monahan was a firefighter, and he had once been a very handsome man. There was a photo above the fireplace taken when Sally was eight years old, before her mother left them.
Jeff and his wife, Alice, were a beautiful couple, and Sally was very proud of them. But a year after the photo was taken, a terrible fire broke out at a local factory.
Jeff and his crew had been called out. A man was trapped in the burning building and Jeff had gone in. He pulled the man out, but he was badly burned.
Beauty fades, but courage and kindness last forever.
His uniform protected his body but not his face. When Jeff walked out of that building, he was no longer the most handsome man in town. He had had skin grafts and plastic surgery, but he was not the same.
Sally’s mother took one look at Jeff and his bandaged face and packed her bags. Jeff didn’t blame her, he blamed himself. Alice had asked him to quit the force, but he had refused. If he had quit, he wouldn’t have been disfigured.
Jeff had loved his job, and he still did. At least at work, no one looked askance at his scarred face. He was respected and needed.
Jeff’s accident and Alice’s departure had turned Sally’s world upside down. She used to be so proud when her father took her to school! But now she was afraid someone would see.
“I don’t want you to walk me to the door,” Sally told Jeff. “You can stand on the corner and watch.”
“But Sally,” Jeff protested. “I want to…”
“I don’t care!” she screamed. “I don’t want my friends to see what a MONSTER you are! That’s why Mom left! I don’t want to lose my friends too.”
From that day on, Jeff walked Sally to the corner and turned away if other kids walked by. He didn’t want his daughter to be teased and bullied because of him.
Over the next few years, Sally made sure her friends never saw her father. She never brought friends home to visit and even insisted that he not attend her birthday parties.
Jeff was a good, loving, and supportive father, and Sally’s attitude hurt him. He was heartbroken when the school had a father-daughter dance and Sally invited her uncle, Jeff’s brother.
Sally was shocked when Jeff started dating another female firefighter. “How can she kiss you?” she asked. “Like… yuck!”
She made the same comment to the girl, who replied, “Your father’s scars became invisible the moment I saw his heart.”
Sally laughed and rolled her eyes, but she was ashamed of herself. Was she like her mother? Was people’s appearance more important to her than their hearts?
Then she shrugged. Everyone felt the same way! She was sure that if her friends saw her father, they would make fun of her. She wasn’t going to let that happen just to spare her father’s feelings!
But one day, fate took over. A fire broke out in a building downtown and Jeff and the other firefighters were called. The fire quickly spread and a resident reported that someone was still inside on the third floor.
Jeff immediately went in and came out twenty minutes later carrying an unconscious man wrapped in a wet blanket. The man was rushed to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
Thanks to Jeff, no lives were lost. The big surprise came the next day at school. The man Jeff had saved was Mr. Gardner, the most popular teacher in school!
All the students were talking about the heroic firefighter who had saved Mr. Gardner and how he already had medals for his bravery. “I think we should show him our appreciation!” said the class president.
All of Mr. Gardner’s students decided to go to the brave firefighter’s house and give him a standing ovation. Sally was horrified! They were sure to find out that Jeff was her father!
Sally came out of hiding and took her father’s hand.
“Sally!” the class president shouted. “Do you know Mr. Monahan?”
“Yes,” Sally said, smiling proudly at her father. “That’s my father!”