I Raised Four Hyper Sons as a Single Mother, 18 Years Later Their Deadbeat Dad Came Crawling Back to Us — My Story

Connie was left to raise their four ADHD children alone after her husband left her. But 18 years later, he appeared on her doorstep one evening, willing to start fresh. Would she forgive him?

You’ve probably seen a woman in a grocery store or a mall with a crying child, throwing his arms and bawling his eyes out. And you must have thought to yourself, “What a mess! Just get him the goddamn things he wants and tell him to shut up!”

I used to think the same thing until I became that woman, that mother.

My name is Connie, and I’m 47 years old. I’ve not had a very different life from you. I was a little girl who grew into a teen and then a young woman. You see, it’s not all that different. Except I made some stupid decisions.

I used to work as a parking lot attendant and fell in love with a truck driver. His name was Jack, and I had never seen a more beautiful man. He wasn’t just handsome, mind you! He was beautiful—his green eyes and golden locks would compel you to at least ask for his number. And I did that. I really did.

As he was leaving, I approached him and said, “Can I have your number?”

Yes, I asked that simply, and he smiled and said, “Are you free tonight?”

I was never free. I was this simple girl who had never had relationships before, and I would take up extra shifts because I never made any plans. But with Jack, everything was different. I felt different. Why? Because he was the one who made me realize I was a woman who could do much more than just work.

We had dinner together that night, and he didn’t drop me home after that. We spent a passionate night in his truck—his skin, his hair, his touch, everything captivated me. I felt special whenever I was in his arms and he whispered “I love you” in my ears.

Soon after, we found out we were pregnant with our first child, and the day I revealed the pregnancy, Jack proposed to me.

“Yes, yes, I will! I will marry you,” I cried into his shoulders, unable to believe my entire world had taken such a beautiful turn.

We married, had our first child, and moved into a cozy studio apartment together. Jack adored our little baby boy, Ethan, and I grew to admire him even more as I saw what a wonderful father and husband he was.

Then a year later, I conceived again, and we became parents for the second time. Jack seemed happy on the outside, but I knew he didn’t feel the same on the inside. He wouldn’t hold our baby so often and started avoiding me whenever I asked him to help with the kids.

I thought becoming a father to two children was taking a toll on him,...