"No! Please don't go!" pleaded little 5 year old Lucy begged. "Honey, I will be back, I promise," came her father's reply.
You see, her father was going to Iraq to fight in the war.
"Must you?" asked Lucy, tears filling her eyes. "I'm afraid so," answered her father. "Okay," she said, stifling a sob. "But before you go, take this." She handed him a keyring, that was half a heart. She had the other half. When you put them together, they formed one heart. "And when you get back, you can give it back to me."
Her father took it in his shaking hands. "Alright, sweetie," he said. His daughter wrapped her arms around him. As he bent over to return the hug, he whispered in her ear "I love you, Lucy. Don't ever forget that."
Then he stepped onto the plane, waving them goodbye. Then the plane left.
Years past and Lucy experienced all that girls experienced. She turned 8. No dad. 9, 10, 11,12...still no dad. Yet, throughout all the years, her dad's words echoed in her soul: "I love you, Lucy. I love you, Lucy. I love you, Lucy"
Then came her 13th birthday. As she blew out the candles, she wished for her dad. She had wished this very wish every birthday, they never came true. Yet, she loved her dad so much, that she never gave up. Her dad did not turn up to her birthday celebration.
Three days later, she was with a group of girls, and they were all talking about their dads. It was Lucy's story that moved them the most. One of the girls, Rachel, piped up. "What's this heart keyring thing?" Lucy reached up to her neck, and undid the keyring. She laid it on the table and all the girls started to admire it.
Then a hand reached onto the desk, and Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. It was the other half of the keyring being put beside hers. As is natural, she swung her head around, and saw her dad.
She didn't know how to react. She jumped up and threw her arms around her dad, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, daddy!" was all she could whisper. The room burst out in applause, but Lucy couldn't hear it. All she could her was her father whispering in her ear once again:
"I love you, Lucy. Don't ever forget that."
You see, her father was going to Iraq to fight in the war.
"Must you?" asked Lucy, tears filling her eyes. "I'm afraid so," answered her father. "Okay," she said, stifling a sob. "But before you go, take this." She handed him a keyring, that was half a heart. She had the other half. When you put them together, they formed one heart. "And when you get back, you can give it back to me."
Her father took it in his shaking hands. "Alright, sweetie," he said. His daughter wrapped her arms around him. As he bent over to return the hug, he whispered in her ear "I love you, Lucy. Don't ever forget that."
Then he stepped onto the plane, waving them goodbye. Then the plane left.
Years past and Lucy experienced all that girls experienced. She turned 8. No dad. 9, 10, 11,12...still no dad. Yet, throughout all the years, her dad's words echoed in her soul: "I love you, Lucy. I love you, Lucy. I love you, Lucy"
Then came her 13th birthday. As she blew out the candles, she wished for her dad. She had wished this very wish every birthday, they never came true. Yet, she loved her dad so much, that she never gave up. Her dad did not turn up to her birthday celebration.
Three days later, she was with a group of girls, and they were all talking about their dads. It was Lucy's story that moved them the most. One of the girls, Rachel, piped up. "What's this heart keyring thing?" Lucy reached up to her neck, and undid the keyring. She laid it on the table and all the girls started to admire it.
Then a hand reached onto the desk, and Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. It was the other half of the keyring being put beside hers. As is natural, she swung her head around, and saw her dad.
She didn't know how to react. She jumped up and threw her arms around her dad, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, daddy!" was all she could whisper. The room burst out in applause, but Lucy couldn't hear it. All she could her was her father whispering in her ear once again:
"I love you, Lucy. Don't ever forget that."