Every dad wants to be his little girl’s hero, and Jeff Monahan was no exception. Sadly, his daughter Sally wasn’t proud of him. She never wanted him to pick her up from school or come to her soccer games.
Sally’s dad knew she was embarrassed by him, and it crushed his heart. She never thought that one day, he would be everyone’s hero.
Jeff, once a very handsome man, was a firefighter. There was a photo over the fireplace from when Sally was eight, just before her mom left them.
Jeff and his wife, Alice, were a striking couple, and Sally was very proud of her parents back then. But about a year after that photo was taken, a tragic fire broke out at a local factory.
Jeff and his team were called in, and when a man got trapped in the burning building, Jeff rushed in to save him. He managed to rescue the man but suffered severe burns.
Beauty fades, but courage and kindness last forever.
His uniform had protected his body, but not his face. After that day, Jeff was no longer the most handsome man in town. Despite undergoing skin grafts and plastic surgery, his appearance was forever changed.
Sally’s mom couldn’t handle it. She looked at Jeff’s bandaged face and left. Jeff didn’t blame her; he blamed himself. Alice had asked him to quit the force, but he’d refused. If he had quit, he wouldn’t have been disfigured.
Despite everything, Jeff still loved his job. At least at work, no one stared at him. He was respected and felt useful.
Sally’s life changed completely after Jeff’s accident and Alice’s departure. She used to be proud of her dad, but now, she was afraid someone might see him.
“I don’t want you to walk me to the gate,” Sally told Jeff. “You can stand on the corner and watch.”
“But Sally,” Jeff protested. “I want…”
“I don’t care!” she shouted. “I don’t want my friends to see what a MONSTER you are! That’s why mom left! I don’t want to lose my friends too.”
From then on, Jeff walked Sally to the corner and turned away if other kids walked by. He didn’t want his daughter to be teased and bullied because of him.
Over the years, Sally made sure her friends never saw her father. She never brought friends home and even insisted that Jeff didn’t attend her birthday parties.
Jeff was a loving, supportive dad, and Sally’s attitude pained him deeply. When the school organized a father and daughter dance, Jeff’s heart shattered when Sally invited her uncle, Jeff’s brother.
Sally was shocked when Jeff started dating a fellow firefighter. “How can she kiss you?” she asked. “Like…Yech!”
Jeff’s girlfriend replied, “Your father’s scars became invisible the moment I saw his heart.”
Sally laughed it off but felt a pang of shame. Was she like her mom? Did she care more about looks than hearts?
She shrugged it off. Everyone felt the same way! She was sure her friends would mock her if they saw her dad. No way was she going to let that happen, even if it hurt her dad.
But fate had other plans. One day, a fire broke out in an apartment building downtown, and Jeff and his team were called in. The fire spread quickly, and someone said there was still a person inside on the third floor.
Jeff went in immediately and came out twenty minutes later, carrying an unconscious man in a wet blanket. The man was rushed to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
Thanks to Jeff, no lives were lost. The big surprise came the next day at school. The man Jeff rescued was Mr. Gardner, the most popular teacher!
The students were buzzing about Jeff, the hero who saved Mr. Gardner, and his previous bravery medals. “We should show him our appreciation!” the class president suggested.
All of Mr. Gardner’s students decided to go to the brave firefighter’s house and give him a standing ovation. Sally was mortified! They would find out Jeff was her father!
She pretended to be sick and went home early, locking herself in her room. Hopefully, no one would see her or realize this was her house!
She peeked from behind her curtains when the kids arrived and rang the doorbell. She heard her dad open the door, and the kids started to sing. No one was disgusted!
Sally crept to the hallway where she could watch. The class president was speaking to her father respectfully, looking at his face with admiration.
“Sir,” the class president asked. “Would you mind telling me how your face…”
Jeff said, “It’s OK. I was burnt many years ago, saving a man from a burning building.”
“Sir!” the boy gasped. “Those are the marks of a hero! We’d be honored if you came to the school and talked to us about your work!”
Meanwhile, the other kids were cheering and clapping! Sally was in disbelief. They weren’t shocked by her father’s appearance! She remembered what Jeff’s girlfriend had said: “Your father’s scars became invisible the moment I saw his heart.”
Her friends saw her father’s heart and courage, while she had only seen his scars. Sally stepped out of hiding and took her dad’s hand.
