One Day, My 7-Year-Old Daughter Came Home From Grandpa’s House and Cheerfully Said, “Mom, Did You Know Grandpa Always Tells Me to Close My Eyes? Then We Go Into the Bathroom Together and Play Our Secret Game.” I Froze. When I Asked What Kind of Game, She Replied, “Grandpa Said You’d Definitely Be Angry If You Found Out. He Even Asked Me Not to Tell Anyone Until We Finished.” My Heart Began Pounding. I Immediately Grabbed My Car Keys and Drove to My Father’s House. But When I Opened the Bathroom Door Without Warning, My Knees Nearly Gave Way, and I Burst Into Tears…

I stared at the miniature town in the bathtub.

And suddenly, I remembered.

When I was six years old, my mother used to make little paper boats with me every evening.Track Pregnancy
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We floated them in the bathtub and pretended we were traveling to different cities around the world.

My father built tiny wooden bridges and houses for our imaginary adventures.

Back then, our family had very little money.Plan Family Trips

We couldn’t afford expensive toys.

But those games were some of the most beautiful memories of my childhood.

After my mother’s death, I couldn’t even bear to look at those old boats.

Dad approached me.

“One day, Emily asked what games you liked when you were little. So I told her about our boats.”

His voice trembled.

“She asked me to make some for her, too. Then she said she wanted to give you the same game for your birthday.”