The morning sun filtered through the curtains as Bibi rubbed her sleepy eyes. Today wasn’t just any day. It was the day Dad would leave for his business trip. For most families, that might be ordinary. But for Bibi, who shared bedtime stories, pancake Sundays, and giggly dance parties with her dad, it felt like the whole world was about to shift.
She tiptoed downstairs, her fuzzy pink slippers barely making a sound on the wooden floor. The smell of toast and scrambled eggs filled the kitchen. There was Dad, dressed in his usual blue button-down, suitcase by the door, flipping pancakes like a pro.
“Morning, sunshine,” he said with a big smile.
“Morning, Daddy,” Bibi said, her voice small.
They sat at the kitchen table, just the two of them. Mom had already left for work. Dad noticed the way Bibi picked at her food.
“You okay, honeybee?”
She nodded, but then shook her head. “I don’t want you to go.”
He reached across the table and took her hand. “I know. I don’t want to be away from you either. But it’s just a few days. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Can’t your boss just Zoom you instead?” she asked, tilting her head.
Dad chuckled. “I wish. But some meetings need face-to-face time. And don’t worry, we’ll video chat every day.”
Bibi tried to smile. It helped, but it still wasn’t the same.
The Suitcase and the Surprise
After breakfast, Bibi helped Dad double-check his suitcase. She folded his socks with intense focus, slipping a tiny note into one of them. It read: Miss you already. Love, Bibi. She didn’t say anything. It was her little secret surprise.
Then, she brought out a small plush bear from her room.
“This is Benny. He’ll keep you company when I can’t,” she said, placing it on top of Dad’s clothes.
“I love him already,” Dad said, giving Benny a dramatic hug.
Bibi giggled. That sound, so full of joy and love, warmed the room. But as the clock ticked closer to departure time, her smile faded just a little.
The Ride to the Airport
They took the long way to the airport, just so they could have more time together. They played their favorite songs, told corny knock-knock jokes, and waved at dogs from the car.
“What do you want me to bring back?” Dad asked.
“A snow globe,” Bibi said after a moment. “And a story. About something only you saw. Something magical.”
“A snow globe and a magical story. Deal.”
When they pulled up to the airport, Bibi suddenly felt shy. The terminal looked big and cold and loud.
“Do you have to go?”
“I do,” Dad said gently. “But I’m going to miss you every minute.”
She reached into her backpack and pulled out a drawing — the two of them standing under a giant rainbow, holding hands. “To remember me by,” she said.
Dad blinked fast. “This is going in my carry-on, right next to my laptop.”
The Goodbye Hug
They walked to the check-in area together. Bibi held Dad’s hand tighter than ever.
When it was time, Dad knelt down.
“Okay, Bibi. Deep breath. What do we say when it’s hard to say goodbye?”
“See you soon,” Bibi whispered.
“That’s right. Not goodbye. Just see you soon.”
They hugged. The kind of hug you remember forever. She buried her face in his neck. He kissed the top of her head.
Then, he stood up, gave one last wave, and walked into the crowd.
Bibi watched until she couldn’t see him anymore.
Back at Home
That evening, Bibi helped Mom make spaghetti. She wore Dad’s hoodie, the sleeves way too long for her arms. It still smelled like his cologne.
When bedtime came, she stared at her ceiling, waiting.
And right on time, her tablet buzzed.
“Hey, sunshine,” came Dad’s face, grainy but smiling.
“Hi Daddy!”
They talked for twenty minutes. He showed her his hotel room (“That bed is huge!”). He described the airplane food (“The cookie was the best part!”). And then, he held up Benny.
“We miss you,” he said.
“Miss you too,” Bibi said, blowing a kiss to the screen.
A Few Days Later…
Three nights. Four video calls. Two bedtime stories read over FaceTime.
Then, the door creaked open. It was still early, the sun just peeking through the blinds. Bibi sat up.
“Dad?”
There he was. A little tired, a little scruffy, but smiling.
She jumped out of bed and ran into his arms.
“You’re home!”
“Told you it would be soon.”
“Did you bring the snow globe?”
He nodded. “And the story. Wait until you hear this one. It involves a dancing pigeon and a lost suitcase…”
Bibi laughed. All was right in the world again.
Final Thought
Sometimes, saying goodbye feels like the hardest thing in the world. Especially when you love someone so much, their absence feels like a missing puzzle piece. But what Bibi learned is this: distance doesn’t shrink love. If anything, it stretches it, like sunshine through a window, reaching across the miles.
Because love finds a way to stay connected — through video calls, bedtime stories, hidden notes, and plush bears named Benny.
And in the end, reunions always feel sweeter after a little time apart.
The End.
