“I will never forget the moment I learned my girlfriend of 9 months was pregnant. I had just left the gym and was sitting in my parked car. She said on the phone, ‘I need to tell you something.’ Honestly, the thought of pregnancy didn’t even cross my mind but, shockingly, those were the next words out of her mouth. As much as I hate to admit it, my heart sank. I knew I had always wanted to have children but this wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. Not in a troubled relationship. Not before I established that I could love this person for the rest of my life. Not until I was sure I had enough maturity for this role. It’s not that I necessarily panicked in this moment, because I was confident I could handle parenthood, but ideally I would have established the emotional foundation to assume this responsibility. I was disappointed in myself and embarrassed I was careless. I had always dreamed this moment would be joyous. It was not.
‘I had to leave. I had to be a single dad to be a better father for my daughter.’: Single dad explains his relationship was ‘vulnerable, beyond repair,’ despite being determined to have a ‘strong co-parenting relationship’
