The day Dylan was discharged from the hospital, Stefan showed up. He’d lost so much weight, his eye sockets were sunken deep into his face, like he’d aged a full ten years overnight.
His voice came out rough and raspy. "Olivia, we need to talk."
"There’s nothing to talk about," she replied, still packing up Dylan’s things.
He turned to their son. "Dylan, Dad is so sorry."
Dylan hugged the stuffed bear she’d bought him, and stared at Stefan with a blank, calm expression. "It’s okay, Uncle Stefan."
Uncle Stefan.
Those two short words nailed Stefan to the spot, frozen solid.
"What did you just call me?" he choked out. Dylan repeated himself, clear as day, "Uncle Stefan. Mom said, you aren’t my dad anymore."
Redness crawled up the rims of Stefan’s eyes. "Dylan, I am your dad. I
