Be it blessing or curse, Father’s Day weekend always brings with it the magic and exhaustion of HeroesCon. This year, with Miles finally aware enough to recognize both Spider-Man and Captain America, I was determined to spend Father’s Day the way all fathers dream of — forcing my hobbies and interests upon him in the foolish hope he’ll love it all as much as I do one day.
After a late brunch, Jaclyn dropped the two of us off at the Charlotte Convention Center. Within minutes, Miles looked like this:
I took advantage of his slumber and dashed around the show floor, getting a few autographs, picking up some art, and chatting with friends. Fortunately, Miles didn’t sleep the whole day away, and between trying to place bids using my card at an auction and trying to gnaw on queue line ropes, he clearly had a blast.
The only time he got even a little fussy was when he was finally faced with meeting his favorite hero, Spider-Man. It turns out he likes him WAY more on the page than in real life. Unsurprisingly, no photo exists of this brief, catastrophic meeting.
Spending the day with Miles was rewarding enough in and of itself, but then, at the end of day just as he was going to bed, I said, “I love you.” And — no lie — he says, “I love you,” back for the first time.
That, folks, is how you Father’s Day.
The Perils (& Pride) of Paternity 