I am not a father. When I walked into this room a minute ago, I was. But now I’m not. I tell myself this like a riddle as I watch the pale blur on the hospital screen and the curve of the doctor’s neck. I nod like I understand, but I don’t. We left it there: a smudge on the screen without a heartbeat, to wait it out at home.

Read: In 2025, I thought a lot about fatherhood without a child

🎄 🌟