I was stepdad to both my sons, starting when they were 5 and 7. I never pushed "call me dad" on them, because I knew their biodad did that to them and it made them feel caught in the middle of something. Shortly after their 18th birthdays, each of my boys asked me to adopt them. They changed their names, and made it clear to me that I was and always had been their dad. But I've been Wil to them for 27 years, so calling me "dad" is weird. But I've heard them refer to me as their dad when they talk to other people, and I've been introduced as their dad a few times. Each time, it feels like I'm mainlining pure joy and love. I was and would always be their dad, whether it was official or not, in every way that mattered. That they chose to ask me to adopt them and make it official is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Art by Hector aka shitty watercolor

😭😭😭😭