I arrived at my son’s house five minutes before New Year’s Eve. Before I even knocked, I heard him toasting: “2025 is going to be perfect! Without the old man in our lives!” I sat down on the sidewalk and waited alone for the fireworks, but at 12:10 a.m., he exploded when he saw what I’d done… – Reading Times

“My son, you are going to have everything your father never had,” I whispered to him while holding him for the very first time. I kept that promise to the letter, even if it meant that I eventually ended up with nothing for myself.

When Julian was little, I would come home exhausted from the poles, but I would still find the energy to play ball with him. I taught him how to ride a bike and took him to the lake on weekends when I wasn’t pulling an extra shift.

Eleanor always told me that I was such a doting father who would do anything for that boy. I admit that she was right, because I invested every single resource and emotion I had into his success.

When he needed a special preparatory course for his exams, I sold my favorite bicycle to pay the fees. When he went to the university, I sold my beloved Mustang and took out a loan to throw him a graduation party he would never forget.