Father’s Day was a meaning day where my family celebrated me, but when my daughter told me a secret that almost broke my heart, I ended up finding a truth that would force my hand.

My daughter Lily is five. She’s my world, funny, full of wonder!

Lily makes me feel like a hero just by asking me to open the peanut butter jar. And I was happy to be her dad.

My wife, Jessica, and I had Lily soon after our wedding. We hadn’t planned to become parents so soon, but we were ready.

I’m an electrician, 40, seasoned, not flashy, and Jess runs a photography studio out of our garage.

So, last week, I picked Lily up from preschool. She climbed into the back seat, smelling like finger paint and raisins and said something that made me surprised.

“Daddy, can we invite my real dad to Father’s Day dinner?”

My foot slipped on the brake! We jolted to a stop.

“Your… real dad?” I asked.

She shook, her curls bouncing.

“Yeah! He comes when you’re at work,” she said.

Struggling to process what she was saying and also suffering from denial, I turned back to look at her and replied, “Maybe you blended something up, sweetie.”

“Uh uh,” she said.

“He comes all the time and brings me nice things like chocolate, and we play tea party. Mommy makes dinner for him sometimes, and you know him. He told me he’s my real daddy.”

So I created a plan.

“Wow,” I said, thinking quickly.

“That’s… a big surprise. Hey, tell you what, sweetheart, wanna play a game? Invite him to dinner on Sunday. But don’t tell Mommy. And don’t tell him I’ll be home. It’ll be fun, and our little secret.”

“A game?”

“Yep. But it has to be a secret, no telling Mommy, okay?” I reminded her.

“Okay! I love games!”

I smiled and leaned in to kiss her head, but inside, I was collapsing.

I got to work while she prepared her equipment that morning. Pancakes for breakfast. A trip to the park. Lily got to pick the centerpiece for dinner at the grocery store, a lopsided sunflower bouquet. By the time we got back home, Jess was gone.

I told my wife that Lily and I were going to be out of the house the whole day, doing something funny on special day. However, I revealed that I’d ring up the babysitter and leave Lily with her while I went out to see my parents.

She knew not to predict me back until much later.

At 6:07 p.m., there was a knock.

I took a deep breath, opened the door, and nearly dropped the serving tray!

Adam.

He was my best friend since college. He was my best man, my fishing buddy, and my daughter’s “Uncle Adam.”

“Hey… bro. Wow, didn’t know you’d be home. What a—what a surprise!”

“Danny?!” she said. “What are you—?”