A military family separated by faraway deployments is now closer than ever.
That's because Tim Webb and his daughter, Tabitha, are welding a lasting bond.
"It's definitely been a journey of blood, sweat and tears, literally," said Tabitha, 21.
They became the first daddy-daughter welding students at Midwest Technical Institute in Moline.
And Friday, they wrapped up nine months of studies and practice to become certified journeyman welders.
"You start on the ground floor," recalled Tim, 45. "And now, I can do all these amazing things."
We first met the family team on their third day at MTI in April 2014.
Tim spent more than 23 years in the Navy.
Tabitha worked in a variety of jobs.
They've gone from deployments to depending on each other.
"It's like a little girl starting over again with her dad," she said. "Except we're older, more educated, and we're learning together."
Just four of the 50 welding students in their group are women.
The family connection brought the Webbs together each day, and it's helping to build new careers.
During their training, they built a set of circular steps.
It seems to symbolize the uphill battle to reinvent themselves.
It wasn't easy, but they leaned on each other.
"She knows she has a confidant, and somebody she can trust in her father," he said. "That's all a dad ever wants."
There are sparks of sentiment on their last day at MTI.
Wearing their daddy-daughter shirts, they're making a trophy to remember their progress.
"He is the only reason that I am graduating today," she said.
Now, there are big dreams of working together and owning their own shop.
It isn't every day that a family can weld, side-by-side, especially a daddy and daughter.
"I think people are excited by the idea of it," Tim said. "But I don't think they're off-put by it. I think they think it's a unique opportunity for us."
Tim and Tabitha are exploring job opportunities. They hope to keep working together for years to come.
"It brought my daddy home," she concluded.