My Father Turned Me Away When I Was a Homeless Single Mom—15 Years Later, He Came Back Begging for Help

At 23, I became a single mother of two after my fiancé died in a sudden accident. One day we were planning our future — the next, I was alone with two babies and no safety net. Working minimum wage, I couldn’t afford both rent and groceries. Every month was a choice: heat or diapers, gas or food.

Desperate, I turned to my dad, believing he wouldn’t let his grandchildren suffer. He refused. Standing in his doorway, he said his new wife wouldn’t like it — he didn’t want to “disrupt the peace.” I drove away in tears, realizing I was truly on my own.

The years that followed were brutal. I worked two or three jobs, relied on food stamps, and slept barely four hours a night. We went without many things — but we survived. Slowly, I built a stable life. Today, I have a steady job, a cozy home, and two thriving kids.

Fifteen years later, my father showed up. His wife had left. He’d lost everything. He asked to stay “just for a week.”

I said no.

He told me maybe his refusal made me stronger. That he regretted everything. That he’s still my father.

Now I’m torn. How do you forgive someone who abandoned you — and ignored your children — for nearly two decades?