At first I couldn’t understand why he imposed
such responsibility on the little boy. Why he
called me dad. Why he yelled out loud for me
when Aunt Mary fell down the stairs. Why he
made me promise that I would never hurt them
in the way my sister did when she got pregnant
and ran away to be married. Or why he squeezed
my hand in the hospital and begged me to make
the pain go away.

I, father to no one, yet fatherly to all.