One evening, as I showed Grace how to repair a worn pair of sneakers, she thanked me for fighting for her.

Then she asked if I would walk her down the aisle someday. In that question was everything—trust, permanence, and love.

I told her there was nothing I would rather do. She rested her head on my shoulder and said the words that finally eased the last ache in my chest: you’re my real father. The promise I made all those years ago was kept, and the truth it revealed was simple and lasting—family is built by love, by showing up, and by never letting go.