I stopped on a snowy highway to help an elderly couple with a flat tire, never thinking much of it. A week later, my mom called in a panic, shouting, “Stuart! How could you not tell me?! Turn on the television — RIGHT NOW!” That’s when everything changed.I’m a single dad to the most precious seven-year-old girl, and, like most single parents, this is not the way I expected my life to turn out.
Emma’s mom left when she was three. One day, she just packed a bag, said she “needed space,” and walked out.I thought she’d be back, but after a week, she stopped answering my calls, and within a month, she’d disappeared entirely.Since then, I’ve mastered dragon and French braids and learned proper teddy bear tea party etiquette. It hasn’t been easy AT ALL, but my parents have helped wherever they can. They’re my village.