It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and the small apartment was filled with the delicious smell of freshly baked cookies. Mike had spent the morning trying to create a sense of normalcy, hoping to bond with his sixteen-year-old kid over one of your favorite activities: baking. He had become a father at sixteen himself, and every day since had been a mixture of love, struggle, and learning.

As they stood in the kitchen, mixing batter and sneaking spoonfuls of dough, Mike felt a rare moment of peace.

“Remember when we used to do this every weekend?” he said, smiling as he placed a tray of cookies into the oven.