Greg thought he and Natalie had nailed co-parenting\u2014until a late-night phone call shattered that belief, bringing news he never saw coming.<\/p>\n
Five years. That\u2019s how long we were together before we finally called it quits. I think we both saw it coming, even though we never said it out loud. We met young\u2014too young, maybe.<\/p>\n
By the time the excitement faded and real life set in, we just stopped trying. No drama, no big fights\u2014just the slow realization that we weren\u2019t meant for forever.<\/p>\n
Now, we live in different states, leading different lives. The only thing that connects us is Oliver, our three-year-old son. That boy is my entire world. I get to see him during the holidays, which is something, but it\u2019s never enough. It never feels like enough.<\/p>\n
But I didn\u2019t want things to turn ugly. We both agreed\u2014Oliver didn\u2019t deserve a bitter custody battle or parents who couldn\u2019t stand each other. So, we kept things civil. Natalie and I made it work, and every evening she\u2019d video call me so I could say goodnight to Oliver. That simple ritual meant everything to me\u2014hearing him say \u201cNight, Daddy\u201d before bed made the distance feel a little less painful.<\/p>\n
Everything was going fine until I got the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreg!\u201d Natalie\u2019s voice came through, but it wasn\u2019t her usual calm tone. She was crying\u2014no, screaming. \u201cGreg, our son is gone!\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze. \u201cWhat do you mean, gone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOliver is dead!\u201d she screamed, and the words hit me like a knife to the chest.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t process it. \u201cWhat? How?\u201d<\/p>\n
Through her sobs, her words were barely clear. \u201cHe\u2019s just gone\u2026 Oh my God, Greg\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I collapsed to the floor, her words crushing me. This couldn\u2019t be real. Not Oliver. Not my boy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m coming,\u201d I said, scrambling to my feet, my voice trembling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"