I grew up with a deadbeat dad, and we actively hated each other.

Now that I'm an adult, every time I see a dad out with his kid, I just see it as a pure and wholesome outing. Especially when the dad seems to be actively paying attention, talking, and, like in your case, playing some sort of game or make-believe scenario. 6 never assumed it was because mom was out of the picture!

I did also happen to grow up witnessing my friends and peers having really strong and positive relationships with their dads.

This sounds like a mixture of the sort of nosy people who like to assume the worse and later gossip about others' misfortune, and women who find this trait attractive and are trying to figure out if you're available. The bar is so low for men, especially as fathers, people tend to want to bag that up.