The Dad He Didn’t Have to Be

For most of my life, there was a man, he loved my mom and she loved him. I considered him my stepfather, though they never married, and while we didn’t always get along I do love him. He’s the only dad I’ve ever willingly claimed but even he fell short a few times. But that’s okay because he was there when he didn’t have to be for a kid that wasn’t even his.

Even today, when they are no longer together like that, he is still the one I call ‘dad’ to a select few. The world knows him as my stepfather, but to the people who know me and love me…he is my dad, and because of that, I consider myself one lucky woman.