Things eventually transitioned from shock and worry to support and excitement. I educated myself and began to shift my energy to this upcoming life change. Over time, my tensions began to settle. It was time to be more pragmatic and less emotional. No more dwelling on the circumstances surrounding my relationship and this pregnancy. Then the moment came where I was to find out the gender. My girlfriend slid me a card across the restaurant table. I wanted a girl though I can’t necessarily explain all the reasons why. My father of three boys and three girls had once expressed that he enjoyed raising his daughters more than his sons. He referenced this incredible feeling he would get pushing his toddler daughter in a shopping cart at the market. That ‘daddy’s little girl’ moment stuck with me and I guess I just wanted that too. As soon as I opened the envelope, I saw pink and immediately started tearing up. It was a really incredible moment. This was the point where the seriousness of this responsibility hit me.
‘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’
