Sports Day
A sporting chance is the way for a doting dad to make his daughter proud in this story by Caz Frear, author of the Cat Kinsella crime novels
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The mid-afternoon sun scorched Ben Shipley’s neck as he bent down to tie his trainers – an action he carried out with blithe precision at least ten times a day and yet here he was, all fingers and thumbs, his heart racing, stomach churning. In fact, the last time he’d felt this nervous, he’d been watching his daughter being yanked into the world by a pair of medieval-looking forceps.
A lifetime ago.
Well, seven years ago, to be precise.
So many rites of passage since then: Rosie’s first steps, her first words, her first day at this very school. But today the spotlight had well and truly landed back on him.
His first Dads’ Race.
His opportunity to show Rosie that despite the turmoil of the past six months, she really did have the World’s Best Dad. That it wasn’t just an empty slogan stamped across birthday cards and novelty mugs.