@rvanengen10 Hey @rvanengen10, so, that was a very interesting read. There are many things to unpack but i think it can be summed up that this āStep Fatherā is so important TO YOU. Yes im certain your son loves him but the risk of bringing somebody new into a young childās life is the fact that there is nothing binding them to the situation. They have no biological, legal, or even moral obligation to continue to be a father.
There is a lot of conflict between you, āstep dadā and āshe/gfā. Your son is in the middle of it and is actually the main topic of the conflict so as time goes on and your son gets older and things become more difficult, i think āstep dadā will continue to drift away and your son will be old enough that it can damage his psyche.
So, could i get a little more information? Your age, your sonās biological fatherās age, is he still in prison, and whether you are financial stable with only your own income. I dont mean to pry but these things can also have a great impact.
In the end, you clearly care for your son and āstep dadā played daddy but never had the feelings you had for your son. He had fun and loved playing with him and now he is distancing himself. I honestly say let him go but maybe have him talk to your son and just explain things but in a way that gives some sort of closure. There will be tears and it wont be easy but its better than his current father figure just disappearing. But if your son is already in the letting go phase and seems to be fine then you just need to let āstep dadā go right away.
Being a single mom isnt easy but its better than having men come and go in your childās life.
You can do it