In my instance, it was the latter. Mom says he skipped town without warning when I was maybe 2 years old. I have zero home memories of him. We finally talked about it maybe 15 years ago before she passed. Just said he never came home one day from work. Couple weeks later, she got a letter from Las Vegas. Oh by the way, I moved here. Would you and the boys care to join me? ***? She declined and stayed in Iowa. I never knew that, until we had "the talk" I was probably 50+ years old at the time.
I was maybe a first grader and got a call from my Grandma one day. Said she was coming to get me and take me to her house. Got inside and a strange man there. said Mark, this is your Dad. He was nice, and I give him that. But I was young and shy. He took me down to his Brother's bar he owned in town and bought me a root beer. Then they took me in the back pool room and flipped on the lights. My first new bike! Took a few falls on that! LOL
A few years later, he came back again. Met at Grandma's and took me for a ride. Gave me 10 silver dollars from Vegas. Still have them today, My only memories of him. Wish I could have known him better, but I was a kid and really shy.
Fast forward: I lived with a single Mom until age 7. She remarried then, and I HATED a strange man living in our house! Took me several years to adjust.
Best choice Mom ever made! They went on and had 2 children together. We are now a big happy family together.
I was maybe a first grader and got a call from my Grandma one day. Said she was coming to get me and take me to her house. Got inside and a strange man there. said Mark, this is your Dad. He was nice, and I give him that. But I was young and shy. He took me down to his Brother's bar he owned in town and bought me a root beer. Then they took me in the back pool room and flipped on the lights. My first new bike! Took a few falls on that! LOL
A few years later, he came back again. Met at Grandma's and took me for a ride. Gave me 10 silver dollars from Vegas. Still have them today, My only memories of him. Wish I could have known him better, but I was a kid and really shy.
Fast forward: I lived with a single Mom until age 7. She remarried then, and I HATED a strange man living in our house! Took me several years to adjust.
Best choice Mom ever made! They went on and had 2 children together. We are now a big happy family together.