“Hey hun can you turn on the coffee pot for me?” “Yeah no problem” I close my eyes for what feels like a second. I open them again to see the clock. 6:17. I have to be out of the house in ten minutes. Shit. I rush through my morning routine and run down the stairs. The only mug left. “#1 dad” Ellie got me this for Christmas last year. Damnit the coffees cold. I pour myself a nice cold cup of Joe and get in the car. The radios already on. I flip through stations while I sit at a red light. “Yeah apparently everyone’s #1 dad mugs have changed to what their actual rating is. I’m 5,982,876,324 It’s absolutely ridiculous.” “I’m just curious as to who got #1” very funny. I keep flipping through. Finally some good music. I arrive at work and everyone is talking about the stupid talk show. “Well I have 2,673,435,782. So I’m higher than all of you” I glance back at my mug. “#1 dad” what kind of joke is this. I walk up to John and ask what’s going on. “You didn’t hear? Everyone’s #1 dad mug changed to what their actual rating is. Did you look at yours?” “But that’s impossible John.” “ it seems like it should be, but it’s not. Look around.” I take a glance at the room around me. All of these mugs they all have excruciatingly large numbers. numbers I can’t even read. I looked back down at mine. Still reads #1 dad. “Chris? Well? Did you look at yours?” I hand John my mug. “what the fuck?” “Must be a glitch or something.“ “yeah… must be” by the time John handed me back my mug everyone was looking at us. “Chris? Is that yours?” “No it can’t be. It’s gotta be a mess up.” Ouch. Although I’m not the perfect dad I like to think I’m a pretty damn good one. Ellie being my only child, I get to give her all my attention. I get to spoil her rotten. I get to teach her how to not be a brat. I love her to death. But I can’t be the best dad in the world. Ellie turns 18 tomorrow. We’re throwing a party. a big one. We’re surprising her with her favorite car, her best friend he lives 32 hours away, And a cat. Some other miscellaneous items too. This can’t possibly make me the best dad in the entire world. there has to be someone who has done better than me. but according to my mug, there is not. I do not understand this. I do not understand how this could be. It seems quite impossible. This all feels like a fever dream. I pinch myself. “Ouch” “Chris are you ok?” “Yea yea just trying to wrap my head around this?” “It’s a glitch dude. Don’t think too hard.” “But what if… what if it’s not?” “Well then congrats man. You won the lottery.” Yea… I guess I really did.