Father figure's load (7)
I believe the answer is:
freight
'load' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'father figure's' is the wordplay.
'father' becomes 'fr' (abbreviation as in a priest's title).
'figure' becomes 'eight' (eight is a number).
'fr'+'eight'='FREIGHT'
(Other definitions for freight that I've seen before include "Goods carried by a large vehicle" , "Commercial transport" , "Charge for carrying" , "Something carried" , "Consignment" .)