A group of neighborhood boys were playing in the front yard under a partial full moon. Their play was interrupted when a black SUV, covered in off-roading dirt and slime, pulled into the upscale suburban driveway next to them.

Tom pulled the key from the ignition and grinned at Aaron, his 8-year-old son.

“You can play with the guys for 20 minutes if you promise not say a word to your mom. I’ll get up early tomorrow and have this baby cleaned up before we head to church. Deal?”

“But, Dad, you’re not supposed to work on Father’s Day.”

“Don’t worry about me. Just make sure you keep your word.”

“Promise.”

Aaron climbed out of the SUV and ran over to the guys. One boy gave him a high five, “Cool ride! That must have been some radical off-roading.”

Tom climbed out of the SUV and headed toward the house. The boys cheered and gave him a thumbs up for what appeared to be the coolest father/son adventure. Tom looked directly into Aaron’s eyes.

“Keep your word.”

Once the door closed behind Tom, Aaron turned to his friends, “If you want to keep future adventure possibilities open for yourselves, we have a mission.”

A little later, Tom called out from Aaron’s bedroom window on the second floor, “Aaron!”

Aaron jumped to his feet and quickly shifted in front of two boys, in order to block his dad’s view, while they attempted to loosen the front yard faucet.

“It’s time to come in.”

“Dad, can I have another 15 minutes?”

“Your mom wants you in bed. We have church in the morning.”

Disappointment filled Aaron’s face. He signaled his friends and headed inside.

Later that night, Tom peaked through the door that was cracked open; to make sure Aaron was asleep.

Aaron was kneeling next to his bed in prayer. Tom couldn’t hear what was said, but waited patiently to make sure Aaron climbed into bed once he finished.

Aaron wiggled a bit, then stood up and headed to the window. He glanced outside, shook his head, and returned to kneel next to his bed. He repeated this several times. Then, during a moment of prayer when his wiggle was stronger than ever, the sound of water spraying outside filled the room. Aaron’s head popped up, he smiled and climbed into bed.

Tom didn’t know what to make of the moment, but pulled the door closed and headed to bed.

The next morning, Tom quietly left the bedroom once his wife headed to the shower. He slipped a peek into Aaron’s room and found him sleeping with a silly grin on his face. Tom quietly descended the steps, stuck an apple in his mouth, and grabbed a bucket.

Tom walked over to the driveway and was startled to see a clean, shiny SUV. He noticed a note under a windshield wiper blade. It read:

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Thanks for our great adventures.
You can read the comics instead of cleaning.

Also, can we take my friends on the next
adventure? They think you’re cool.

Love Aaron

Tom laughed – The best Father’s Day, ever.