Alex rubbed his temples as Liam tugged insistently at his sleeve. "Daddy, can you help me tie my shoes?"
Alex stared down at the little sneakers, laces tangled in a hopeless knot. He had tied shoes plenty of times in his life—but never for a six-year-old boy whose fingers fumbled clumsily and whose patience was fleeting.
"Uh… sure," he said, crouching down. "We'll do this together."
Liam huffed impatiently, twisting the laces around his tiny hands like they were some sort of puzzle. "No, no! You're doing it wrong!"
Alex blinked, caught off guard. "Wrong? How—"
"Like this!" Liam demonstrated, quickly forming a messy bow. Alex tried to imitate it, but it immediately collapsed.
Maya appeared in the doorway, stifling a laugh. "You're both hopeless," she said, shaking her head. "Just let me do it."
"No!" Liam protested. "Daddy has to do it!"
Alex gave Maya a helpless glance. "See what I'm dealing with?"
"You'll survive," she teased. "Maybe."
After several attempts—and a few untied shoes later—Alex finally got one pair done. Liam's victorious grin lit up the room. Alex felt a strange mix of pride and exhaustion.
"Good job, buddy," Alex said, ruffling his hair.
"Thanks, Daddy!" Liam cheered, skipping ahead to his toys.
The word—Daddy—hung in Alex's mind longer than it should have. It was simple, yet it carried a weight he hadn't anticipated. Responsibility. Love. Vulnerability. And he realized he liked it, more than he expected.
Later, breakfast became another test of patience. Liam insisted on pouring his own cereal, spilling half of it onto the floor. Alex tried to help, only to knock over the milk in his attempt to steady the bowl.
"See?" Maya said, stepping in to clean up. "Parenthood is messy."
Alex groaned. "I don't think I was prepared for this level of mess."
"It's not just the mess," Maya said gently. "It's the tiny moments—the giggles, the hugs, the way he looks at you like you're his whole world. That's what makes it worth it."
Alex looked at Liam, who was now happily flinging cereal pieces across the table with an innocent grin. And somehow, despite the chaos, he felt it. Worth it. The first real sense of connection and belonging he had felt in years.
After breakfast, the trio headed to the park again, a chance for Liam to burn off energy—and Alex to test his parenting skills further. Liam ran ahead, shouting encouragement for Alex to catch him. Alex stumbled, laughed, and eventually did, scooping Liam into his arms mid-run.
Maya watched from a bench, sipping her coffee, her expression softening as she saw Alex navigate the challenges with patience, humor, and tenderness. "He's lucky to have you," she murmured.
Alex met her gaze briefly, and for a moment, the years melted away—the pain, the distance, the anger. All that remained was connection, fragile but real.
As the sun dipped low in the sky, Liam collapsed in Alex's arms, tired but happy. Alex carried him home, feeling a mixture of pride, wonder, and an unfamiliar warmth he hadn't expected.
At the apartment, as Maya tucked Liam into bed, Alex lingered in the doorway. "You're… amazing," he said softly, not to Liam, but to Maya.
She looked at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "We're amazing… together," she said gently.
Alex realized that this was only the beginning—fatherhood, romance, and family all tangled together—but for the first time, he felt ready to face it. Messy mornings, spilled cereal, and all.
Because some things—like love, family, and second chances—were worth every stumble.