I Screamed I Wanted My Mom Back — My Dad’s Response Broke Me

My dad raised me alone after my mom left when I was just three years old. Growing up, it often felt like it was just the two of us against the world. He worked three jobs—early mornings at the warehouse, afternoon shifts at the gas station, and late nights driving for a delivery company. He rarely slept, but somehow he always made time to pack my lunch, show up at school events, and help me with homework. He tried so hard to make sure I never felt the absence he felt every day.