That night was amazing. I forgot he was late because he was truly present. On the way home, he told me, “Mom’s moving to St. Louis and wants you to go with her, but I won’t let that happen if you don’t want to.” I froze. Moving wasn’t what I wanted. All my friends and school were here. “Don’t worry now. We’ll see how things go,” he said, stopping for pizza.

Soon after, mom sought sole custody, dad fought it, and the court let me decide. I explained that dad wasn’t always there but fully committed when he was, and mom sometimes didn’t listen. I chose to stay with dad. Mom was sad but accepted it and visited on weekends. Now in college, I have good relationships with both parents. Most importantly, they’re there for me. Since that dance, dad has never missed showing up.