To the Man I Never Knew as 'Dad'

Thank you.
Thank you for being present in the hectic life of a hormonal teenaged girl,
For being there when her father couldn't be bothered
Thank you for being available to a young girl that needed a male figure in her life.
Thank you for being there for that girl and her family,
For giving all you have to make them your own family too.
Know that there is nothing but blood and title stopping her from knowing you belong to her.
Some might say step-something rather.
You are her dad.
You have endured thousands of thankless nights, hard labour, and more along the way.
This is her thank you.
Her reminder of why she is who she is today.
Why she would be proud to one day marry a man just like you.
This is your warning, that you most likely got more than you bargained for,
But that you shared the reward with a family,
Your family.
She never knew you as dad,
But you were always so much more than the title suggested anyway.