Lily cried louder.
He looked down at her tiny face, red and scrunched with hunger and frustration.
Then suddenly she stopped.
She opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
Not through him.
At him.
And in that tiny silent stare, something changed.
“Yes,” he said, tears falling without warning. “Yes, I can.”
That became the beginning.
He learned everything the hard way.
How to change diapers one-handed.
How to rock a baby while answering work emails.
How to survive on four broken hours of sleep.
How to smile while exhausted.
How to recognize the difference between a hungry cry, a tired cry, a scared cry, and a cry that simply meant she wanted to be held.
He learned that babies can sense sadness.
And that sometimes the only cure for sadness is their laughter.
Ethan worked mornings at a warehouse loading delivery trucks. In the afternoons, he cleaned offices downtown. At night, when Lily slept, he took online classes hoping to earn a certificate in computer support so one day he could get a better job.
He lived in motion.
Wake Lily.
Feed Lily.
Dress Lily.
Daycare drop-off.
Run to work.
Rush to second job.
Pick her up before closing.
Cook something cheap.
Bath time.
Laundry.
Dishes.
Assignments.
Collapse.
Repeat.
Some days he felt like a machine.
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