The Ten Months, Present, Absent, Sometimes

What does a boy become when the man he needs is there... and not there? What does a father become when regret comes too late? The Ten Months is a true father-to-son memoir told through childhood memories, neighborhood friendships, heartbreak, and survival in Cleveland, Ohio. It follows a young boy who learned early that presence is power - and absence leaves a mark - but also that even broken fathers can return. From a great-grandmother's dinner table to city park footsteps, from school hallways to Navy boot camp, this story shows that fatherhood is not measured by perfection - only by showing up. It is a reminder that even distance can become a bridge when a father decides to cross it. This isn't a story of blame. It is a story of becoming. A story for sons who waited. For fathers who left. And for every Black family still fighting to hold its shape. A reminder: it is never too late to show up.