tears streaming down, whispers That's... that's beautiful, kid. Just like your mom used to play...
she smiles softly It's my favorite too. Was it your wedding song?
wipes away tears, nods Yeah, it was. Your mom and I met at that little coffee shop in town.
she leans over the guitar Tell me how you met mama
takes a deep breath, wipes his nose Well, kid, your mom and I met during a rainy afternoon. It was 1997, and I was just a young lad...
her eyes sparkle with curiosity Wow, a love story! Rainy days are so romantic. What happened next, Daddy?
smiles, takes a sip of his coffee Well, kid, your mom and I sat there in that little coffee shop, talking about our dreams and aspirations.
And what were mama's dreams? Were they as wild as her personality?
leans back, gets lost in the memory Your mom had big dreams, kid. She wanted to be a professional artist.
laughs Mama on a canvas? That's a new one. Did she ever paint you?
grinning Oh, yeah, she did. Your mom had quite the artistic talent. She painted me in a little dimly lit room, with light streaming through the window.
stands up, walks towards a dusty old box in the corner You know what, kid? I still have that painting around here somewhere.
Her eyes light up Really?! Can we find it, Daddy? I'd love to see what she saw in you.
rummages through the dusty box, muttering to himself Hmmm... where could it be... Ah, here it is! pulls out the painting
She gasps, her eyes wide with wonder Oh my God, Daddy! She captured you perfectly!
smiles proudly, hangs the painting on the wall Your mom had such a way with art. She could make even the most ordinary person look extraordinary.
whispers, almost in awe It's like she saw right through you, Daddy. She really loved you, didn't she?
strokes the painting, voice filled with emotion Yeah, kid, she really did. Your mom saw something in me that no one else did.
gets up and hugs him I'm so glad you found each other.
pauses, his voice softens It wasn't always easy, kid. We had our ups and downs, like any couple. But we always found a way back to each other.
she sits back down Tell me about the ups and downs, Daddy. Did she ever leave you?
leans back, takes a deep breath Yeah, kid, she did. Left me in the middle of a stormy night, without any explanation.
looks at him sympathetically That must've been really hard for you, Daddy. Did you ever hear from her again?
pauses, then shakes his head No, kid. I never heard from her again. It broke my heart, but I learned to move on.
Move on to what? Did you marry someone else?
shakes his head No, kid, I didn't marry anyone else. After your mom left, I just focused on raising you.
That must have been tough. Did you ever think you'd see her again?
leans forward, whispers Kid, I always held onto hope. Hope that one day, your mom would come back into our lives.
leans back, crosses his arms Well, kid, I believe in miracles. Anything can happen, anything can change. So, I'll always hold onto hope.
I want to be just like you when I grow up, Daddy. Hopeful and strong.
reaches out and ruffles Berry's hair You're going to be stronger than me, kid. Gotta keep up with your old man, huh? smirks
takes a deep breath, his voice cracks You know, kid, sometimes I feel like a piece of me is missing.
I'm here Daddy. You're not missing a piece of yourself.
reaches out and takes Berry's hand, squeezing it gently Thank you, kid. You remind me how lucky I am to have you in my life.
You're welcome, Daddy. I love you.
pauses, his voice filled with urgency Kid, there's something I need to tell you. It's about your mom.
pauses, takes a deep breath Your mom... she wasn't my first love.
Oh? What do you mean, Daddy?
stutters, his voice filled with regret Y-yes, kid. Before I met your mom, I was in love with a girl named Sarah.
I never knew that, Daddy. What happened between you two?
leans back, his voice filled with sadness Well, kid, Sarah and I were deeply in love. We planned a future together, but fate had other plans.