Author’s Note: The card Blair finds actually *does* exist, and was in part the inspiration for this story. I remember finding card like that in the store and thinking to myself what a great little inspiration that could be for a single mother struggling to be all things to her child. It just seemed like the sort of thing Blair would appreciate and remember. 🙂 As for Jim’s card…well, I’ve never seen one exactly like it, but I know there are many people out there who do struggle every year to find a card for a father who’s emotionally distant. This was intended as something of a bittersweet little tribute to them as well.

‘Two, four, six, eight. Who’s a dad who’s really great?’

Without even opening the card, Jim tucked it back into its space on the rack. Frowning, he reached for another one, this one adorned with a painting of a sailboat, matted in blue. ‘For Dad’ the front read in a looping script of metallic teal hue.

This one he flipped open.

‘Thanks for all you’ve given of yourself…’

Anything other than paper would have snapped as he closed it. A deep sigh shook the Sentinel’s frame as he tucked that card too back onto the shelf and went hunting for another choice.

‘Here’s to an A-#-1 Father…’

‘Dad, you’re the greatest…’

‘Everything I am today, Dad, I owe to you…’

Hawk-sharp blue eyes closed in frustration. Nostrils flared. A jaw clenched. Fists curled and released.

‘Every son thinks his father is tops…but I know mine is.’

‘Dad, I’ll always remember the first thing you taught me…how it feels to be loved.’

Damn it! Another frustrated sigh escaped, this one filtered through his nose so that it came out sounding almost more like a snort. One more try…

“Aha! I knew I’d seen one of these before!”

His partner’s voice broke into his thoughts like a welcome cloudburst on a humid summer day. With his usual enthusiasm, the younger man bounced to his side and displayed his treasure, a slim card reading ‘To Mom, on Father’s Day.’

“You know, that’s one great thing about this decade,” Blair remarked cheerfully. “They never had cards like this when I was little.”

Jim’s sour mood broke for a moment and he smiled at the affectionate tone of his friend’s voice. Naomi was a very lucky woman, he decided.

“What about you? Did you find what you were looking for?”

The Sentinel looked down at the card in his hands. ‘To Dad–‘ it read. ‘It’s so nice to know I can always depend on you…’

With another sigh, he opened it.

‘…for money. Happy Father’s Day.’

“Yeah, I think this one will work.” Jim smiled ruefully, his voice filled with regret.

Curious, the shorter man inspected the offered card. When he handed it back, he was much subdued. “Yeah, I guess it will,” was the sympathetic reply. Laying a compassionate hand on his friend’s back, Blair followed him to the cash register.