Poor Aging Dad Is Stricken with News of His Only Daughter Excluding Him from Family Photo — Story of the Day

Thomas raised Angelina on his own after his wife died, and he did his best despite living paycheck-to-paycheck. Years later, Angelina got married to a rich man and had a family photoshoot without him, which hurt him terribly. They stopped speaking until something astonishing happened, and Angelina learned a hard lesson.

Angelina cried heavily but quietly as she drove to her dad's house. Life had honestly taught her a hard lesson these past few weeks, and she seriously regretted her actions of the past years.

"I can't believe what I did to him," she told herself as she pulled up to her childhood home. It was tiny, humble, and desperately needed gardening and repairs. The paint was chipped, but her heart eased looking at it. She only hoped her dad would accept her back after everything.

"This is definitely my karma," she whispered to herself, turning off the car.

***

Thomas married Derry in their 20s, but Angelina was not born until their late 30s after many years of trying to have children. They hoped having one child would make their family complete. However, things went wrong after Angelina's birth.

They diagnosed Derry with a severe condition, and they started drowning in medical debt. Thomas worked harder while a neighbor helped with the baby. They did everything for Derry to live longer, and it seemed to work for many years until Angelina turned 12 when Derry finally succumbed to her terrible disease.

They were all devastated, but Thomas did everything to raise his daughter on his own despite all their struggles and their crushing debt. They lived in abject poverty, but Thomas thought he was doing well for the most part.

In time, Angelina earned a scholarship to the University of Central Florida, and Thomas was the proudest father at her graduation.

Soon enough, she started dating William, who came from an insanely wealthy family. Thomas worried that they might not be suited for each other due to their different upbringings, but it was clear they loved each other.

Unfortunately, Thomas got sick the day of the wedding and couldn't attend. But Angelina sent him photos, and he felt like he was there.

As time passed, he noticed how Angelina called him less and less. She never invited him over to her house, and he had only met William's parents a couple of times. He tried calling her, but she was always busy with something and hung up quickly. It was odd but thought nothing about it until his in-laws called at some point.

Wiliam's father, Mr. Scranton, asked a few things about Angelina. They apparently wanted to get her something. "Thank you, Mr. Martins. We´ll see you at the photo shoot," Mr. Scranton told him. Unfortunately, Thomas had no idea what the man was talking about.

"What photoshoot?" Thomas inquired.

"Angelina and William recently announced their pregnancy, and there's a photo shoot tomorrow. I'll see you then," Mr. Scranton said and hung up.

Thomas couldn't speak. Angelina had not told him anything about her pregnancy, much less a photoshoot. But why? He had to know, so he dialed his daughter

"Dad, it's just… William's family is so fancy, educated, refined, and well…," Angelina trailed off, and Thomas immediately understood. She was embarrassed by him. That's why she had pulled away. She was probably happy he missed her wedding.

"Very well, Angelina. Do what you have to do," he replied in a dead tone.

"Dad…," she whined, but Thomas hung up the phone quickly. They didn't speak to each other for many months after that.

***

As Angelina pulled onto her father's driveway, she thought of that phone conversation. She thought back to how relieved she had been when he got sick and couldn't attend her wedding. She thought about all the times she didn't invite him over.

"This is definitely my karma," she whispered, turning off the car.

She got out, grabbed her daughter Eve from the backseat, and approached the front door. She rang the bell hesitantly.

"Angelina?" Thomas said when he opened it. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Dad," she greeted awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

Thomas looked at her, saw her tear-stained face, and finally, his eyes wandered to the daughter in her arms. Eve was a lovely baby, but there was one thing different about her. She was born without an arm, and it was pretty evident.

"Is that your child?" he asked. Angelina nodded sheepishly and it was like Thomas understood precisely why she was there. "Come in."

Thomas grabbed his granddaughter and played with her for some time. Meanwhile, Angelina looked around, unsure of herself, then sat on the sofa.

Finally, Thomas spoke up. "Well, tell me everything. I assume your husband is not happy about this beautiful girl."

She broke down in tears and wailed through her tale. Thomas was right. As soon as Eve was born, William started pulling away. He didn't want anything to do with his daughter, and his parents supported him.

He soon asked for a divorce and kicked her out of the house. They were rich and had so many connections that there was no way Angelina could fight him on it, So she ran to the only other home she could think of.

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I know I was horrible, and I have no excuse. I'll never be able to amend that mistake. But please, is it okay if we stay here until I can find another solution? I know you're getting old, and having a baby in the house can be cumbersome, but please," she begged, her head in her hands.

Thomas sighed. "Angelina, you are my daughter. You never have to beg me for a roof. No matter what happened or what you did, I will always be here for you... and for this gorgeous girl" he said, touching the baby's head with one hand. "Who's grandpa's favorite? Who?" he cooed.

Angelina jumped up and hugged her father and daughter tightly. She vowed never to make the same mistake again.

Eve grew up with all the love Thomas and Angelina could give her, even if they didn't have much money. And with the help of an organization, she was able to get fitted for prosthetic arms, which allowed her to be more independent. But all she really needed was a solid support system to thrive.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always appreciate your parents and the sacrifices they made for you. It's vital to be grateful for everything your parents gave you, especially all the love and support.
• A loving parent will forgive even your worst mistakes. Angelina was lucky that her father loved her so dearly that he forgave her quickly. Not everyone gets a second chance, and when Angelina got hers, she never took her father for granted again.

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