Father, in six strips
Scroll like a webtoon. New strips as Lily grows.
Night-Shift Rookie
No training, no bonus, one KPI: show up.
Night one. Alex came prepared.
Maya: You made a flowchart for crying.
WAAAH.
Alex (whisper-shout): CONTACT!
Stealth: 0. Commitment: 100.
...
Alex: It worked?!
The experiment. Results: conclusive.
Maya: Employee of the month.
No review. No bonus. One KPI: when she cried, he came.
Shift over. See you tonight.
The Puddle
His job: say "let's try it" — and jump first.
The puddle.
Maya: Boots. Stay. Clean.
Lily: ...okay.
Alex (whisper): Define 'clean.'
SPLOOSH!
(a quiet beat — no words)
Maya: You're washing those boots.
She didn't need a supervisor. She needed a safety net — and someone to jump first.
Lily: Again tomorrow?
Alex (exhausted): ...ask your mother.
The Launch Checklist
Stop inspecting. Start system-building.
The 8 PM chaos.
Alex: WHERE is your math sheet?!
Maya: Great management. Very inspiring.
Designer brain: activated.
Lily: The shoe looks drunk.
Alex: It's charming.
Maya: Don't touch. That's her job.
OOF—
A PM doesn't do the work. He builds the system — then gets out of the way.
System update received.
Lesson One: Falling
Run alongside — close enough to catch, far enough to let go.
The skateboard.
Lily: NO WAY.
Lily: It's tippy.
Caption (flashback): He remembers.
Alex: Lesson one isn't riding. It's falling.
whoosh
Alex: You okay? Again, or call it a day — your call.
Lily: Again.
A coach runs alongside. Close enough to catch — far enough to let go.
Maya: Nice coaching. You're sweeping the driveway.
Lily: Worth it.
The Late Bus
Stabilize first. The lecture can wait — the relationship can't.
Two hours late. Phone dead.
Maya: WHERE—
Alex: Hey. You're safe. That's what matters right now.
Lily: ...you're not mad?
Alex: Oh, I'm furious. But furious can wait. Talk to me.
Small, human reasons.
Alex: Next time: borrow anyone's phone, text us. No lecture, no punishment — just text.
Lily: ...that's it?
Maya: He's saving the lecture for never.
A crisis director doesn't delete the post. He stops the spiral — and keeps the line open.
Maya: PR department's working.
The Pitch
Fund the venture. Don't run the booth.
The pitch.
Lily: I have a pitch.
Lily: Fifty prints. One table. Zero experience. Any questions?
Alex: Okay. Walk me through the risks.
Maya: She did the math better than you ever did.
Alex: Deal. I'm in — as an investor, not a manager. Weekly check-in, and I get 10%.
Lily: Five.
Alex: ...deal.
An investor funds the venture. He doesn't run the booth.
Lily: Broke even! And someone bought the sunset one!
Lily: Thanks for not saying no.
Alex: Thanks for having a plan.
Maya: Cute. Where's MY cut?