There were a million stars in the sky that night. Looking through my telescope was like sending me to a new world, I could spend hours looking up at the mighty sky. One star fell slightly, then another and another and another. Before I knew it fifteen stars had slid past my sight. Even though it was childish of me I wished on them. Every wish for the same thing, I slowly wished for my dad back clasping my hands together as if I was praying to God. Please bring him back as two tears slid down my cold cheeks.

After the excitement of the stars had faded for the night I slid into bed and drifted to sleep slowly and silently.

I awoke to the sweet smell of pancakes. Must be mom I whispered quietly to myself. I quickly hopped out of bed and ran downstairs with excitement. Picturing the fat fluffy cakes. I stopped dead in my tracks…

It couldn’t be.

I must still be asleep. A tall familiar manly figure turned slowly. It’s my father. He turned around and looked at me. “Well it’s about time you got up, sleepy head”. I just stood there completely astounded by the sight of my dead father. “Well go on sit down”. As I plopped down at the table still not sure what to say, he sat across from me “I’ve got a big day planned for us today bug. But first.” He grabbed the remote and turned on our favorite show, how it’s made. Thoughts plowed through my mind. How could this happen. How can he actually be standing in front of me. How could wishing on a star actually give me what my heart has longed for for so long? I decided not to question it. “Here you go.” He set a Mickey Mouse pancake with a chocolate chip smile, covered in peanut butter and syrup. I looked at him and smiled. “Thanks, Dad.” He looked down at me and said you’re welcome, sweetheart.
After we had cleaned our plates we packed up the car and went to our golf course. We spent hours talking and hitting our balls as far as we could. It had been just like old times. Just me and my dad. We got done about 2:30, then went to Red Robin and got bacon cheeseburgers and had random conversations. It was a hot day so we drove up to our favorite spot by the river, and went swimming for the rest of the day. We jumped off the waterfall and swam like we were fish. We left the river once the sunset behind the trees. On our way home he looked at me and asked if I wanted to have a sundae for dinner. My mind flashed back to the day he asked me that before he died. I just smiled lightly and said yeah, and wiped a tear away from my eye before he could see it. We stopped by Winco and got everything needed for a sundae: vanilla ice cream, strawberry and caramel topping, and we grabbed some peanuts. Once we got home we quickly indulged in our ice cream, with full bellies we sat and watched action movies.

He stood up and said I have to go, but I had the best day with you. I stood up as fast as I could. “No you can’t leave you just got here!” He said you know it’s not right I can’t stay here I’m already dead Zoe…

Tears started pouring out of my eyes… “But dad you can’t go, I need you in my life this isn’t fair.”

“Zoe, God gave us this day so we could say goodbye.”

“But Dad, you’ll never see me graduate, you won’t see me get married, you’ll miss out on my whole life.”

“Zoe, I have been with you all along. You’ve never been alone, I’m always watching over you.”

“I never made you proud dad, I never spent enough time with you.”

“Zoe I am so proud of you, I know you love me and you were the best daughter a man could ask for.”

I just stood there crying. He grabbed my hand and walked me to my room and tucked me in and whispered, “I love you and I will always be with you Zoe.”

He held me until I fell asleep.

I awoke to the smell of pancakes and I ran downstairs to see if it was my dad… But it was my mom cooking them. Was that whole day a dream? Was it real at all? My hand brushed by the side of my pants and I felt something in my pocket. I reached in my pocket and found a note that said, “I love you and am always with you. Love, Dad.”