Two slices of dessert in front of him—his favorites. One chocolate, one rainbow cake with those little confetti dots he used to call “happy freckles” when he was younger. He didn’t even ask why we were doing both this time.

He just dug in.

We were at that corner booth by the window, the one we always asked for. It wasn’t a fancy place, just familiar. Warm. Safe.

And I wanted this moment to feel exactly like that.

Because the truth was, he didn’t know.

He didn’t know I’d signed the papers the night before.

Didn’t know the agency had found a family.

Didn’t know that tonight, I’d pack his favorite hoodie and the little fox plush he slept with every night into a blue duffel.

Because I had made the hardest decision of my life—one that felt like it would tear me apart. I was giving him up. I was giving him a future. A future that I couldn’t provide, not in the way he deserved. He was only eight, and I couldn’t stand the thought of him knowing the truth now—he wasn’t ready to understand.

At least, I hoped he wouldn’t understand. Not yet.

“Dad, can I have more?” he asked, pointing to the last of the rainbow cake. His eyes were wide and eager, and the sweetness of his innocence made the pit in my stomach grow even deeper. How was I supposed to explain to him what was happening? How do you tell a child you love that they’re not going to see you every day? That everything would change?

pushed my own fork through the cake and smiled. “Sure, buddy. You can have as much as you want today. Let’s make it a good one, okay?”

He nodded, oblivious, and took another forkful.

I wanted to savor the moments. Every laugh, every smile, every little quirk he had that I had loved since the day he was born. I couldn’t help but remember how his tiny hands had gripped my finger in the delivery room, how his first words had been a jumble of sounds that only a father could understand. I had been there for all of it. But now… now I was stepping away, because I had to. For him.

We’d been living in a cramped apartment for the past year after I lost my job, my savings, and my sense of stability. I did everything I could to keep our lives together. I worked long hours at two different jobs, but it was never enough. It had been hard to even afford groceries some weeks, let alone rent. Every night, I’d go to bed, exhausted, feeling like a failure. I couldn’t give him the life he deserved.

The adoption agency had been patient with me, but I knew time was running out. I knew they had found a family—a couple with the means, the resources, and most importantly, the stability to raise him the way he needed. And it broke my heart.

The waitress came over with the check, and I could see the concern in her eyes. Maybe she had noticed the tension between us, or maybe she saw the way I kept wiping my eyes when my son wasn’t looking. But she didn’t say anything. She just gave me a small, sympathetic smile and walked away.

“Can we go to the park after this, Dad?” he asked, his face lighting up as he finished his last bite of cake.

I swallowed hard. I had planned on taking him to the park, just like we always did. One last time. But I couldn’t help but feel like this was the longest goodbye, and I wasn’t sure how I could keep pretending everything was okay.

“Of course, we can go to the park,” I said, forcing the words out with a smile. “But how about we stop for ice cream on the way? Your favorite?”

His eyes sparkled. “Chocolate fudge, with extra sprinkles?”

“Extra sprinkles,” I agreed, my heart aching as I reached over and ruffled his hair.

We left the café and drove to the park, the same route we’d taken dozens of times. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. We sat on the swings together, pushing each other higher and higher, laughing as if everything was normal.

But the truth was, my heart was breaking. With every push of the swing, I could feel the weight of what I was doing settling in. I knew this was the last time I would feel the warmth of his small hand in mine, the last time I would hear his giggles as we raced to the top of the slide. The last time he would ask me to pick him up and twirl him around in the air, like I had done so many times before.

“Dad,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “Are you okay?”

I froze. How could he know? How could he tell?

“Yeah, buddy,” I said, trying to steady my breath. “I’m okay. Just… just happy we’re spending the day together.”

He nodded, his expression uncertain, but then a wide grin spread across his face as he swung higher.

“Look! I’m flying!”

I laughed, but it didn’t reach my eyes. I could feel the tears threatening to spill, but I pushed them back. I couldn’t cry in front of him. Not yet. Not when I still had a few hours left with him.

After a while, the sky grew dark, and we headed to the ice cream shop. He chattered excitedly about his favorite flavors, his plans for school, and the new game he was hoping to get for his birthday. It was the kind of conversation we always had, and I tried to keep up with it, tried to focus on the sound of his voice instead of the crushing weight of what was coming.