My first wife left us when my son was still an infant—barely three months old. One morning she kissed his forehead, said she needed air, and simply never came back. For weeks, I walked around in a fog, doing everything I could to hold myself together for the tiny person who depended on me.
I learned to function on almost no sleep. I learned how to warm bottles with one hand and pay bills with the other. But nothing prepared me for the moments when the weight of being a newly single father hit all at once.
I packed the diaper bag, loaded my son into the car seat, and forced myself out the door. For the most part, dinner went smoothly—until I smelled that smell and knew it was time for a diaper change. I headed to the men’s room, already tired and stressed, only to find… nothing.
No changing table. Just a sink and a mirror. My heart sank.
I must have stood there for a full minute staring at the wall, trying to figure out what to do. On my way out, I spotted a woman leaving the ladies’ room. Desperation got the better of pride.
“Excuse me,” I said, “is there any chance the ladies’ room is empty? I just need to change my son.”
She looked at the baby, then at me—disheveled, exhausted, holding back something I didn’t want to show a stranger. She ducked inside, checked, and gave me the nod.
“Go ahead. Take your time.”Continue reading…
