She'd whisper 'I love you' whenever dad left home — not knowing he was secretly listening in at work

Reddit user u/theholycroissant2 recently shared a wholesome family moment that touched the hearts of many. In a now-viral post that has gained 22,000 upvotes in three days, she wrote about how her father discovered something deeply personal, thanks to a camera meant for watching the dogs. "For some context, no one in my family is very verbally or physically affectionate," she explained, adding, "We never say 'I love you' or often hug. We normally all just do things for each other because we all think actions speak louder than words."

Despite that, the 20-year-old college student had developed a small routine. "I would always whisper it after my dad left for work. Mind you, I'm twenty years old and currently in university, but I would always say 'Bye Daddy, I love you' just to myself every time he leaves," she wrote. Unbeknownst to her, her dad had recently installed a front door camera to keep an eye on the dogs while the family was away on vacation, and that’s when he noticed she would "whisper it every time he left."

She said he didn’t bring it up until recently, after her grandmother passed away. In the middle of them sharing their grief, he told her he had been listening to it all along. It was his "favorite part of the day," and he would check the camera as soon as he got to work. "I remember him telling me, 'I'm glad you still secretly call me that. It reminds me that deep inside, you're still my little girl,'" she recalled. Such families that don’t say much out loud often communicate just as strongly in other ways. A 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that when fathers do express affection verbally, whether frequently or in small, meaningful ways, it strengthens their daughters’ sense of emotional closeness and long-term well-being. The researchers noted that daughters who perceive even occasional affection from their fathers tend to report higher satisfaction in their relationships and greater emotional security.

The author ended the post with, "I hope this little tidbit brightens someone's day," and it did. In the comments, people shared their own stories, some full of warmth, others with a hint of longing. "Wish I were this lucky. Wish I could just go hug my dad after reading a Reddit post about dads. All I can do is hug his shirt," wrote u/Stories-N-Magic. u/Apprehensive_Use1906 added, "Lost my Dad a little over a year ago. I don’t dream much but when I do it’s usually just giving him a hug. It’s very comforting." u/swellswirly shared, "My 19-year-old son isn’t affectionate but that doesn’t stop me from hugging him and kissing his head goodnight. He smiles, so I know he likes it."

u/Aar_San commented, "I have never said, 'I love you,' to my dad. But we are a very physical family when showing affection. My favorite thing is when I get off work and my father is back from his work as well, I just lay my head on his pot belly. It is my favourite pillow. I am 30 years old, but it does not matter." u/PhotonWranglers shared his two cents, "As a father, this hits real hard. Those kinds of moments are truly the payoff for a parent."