At college, I video-called Leo.

The video part did not matter much to him.

Audio did.

At two years old, he heard:

“Hey, Leo.”

His entire face changed.

“Ev!”

That was what he called me.

Not Evan.

Ev.

He touched Dad’s phone screen.

Then held it near his ear.

I clicked my tongue.

The old signal.

Leo laughed.

I had spent months fearing distance would feel like abandonment.

It did not.

Relationship survived technology.

I visited twice a month.

Sometimes more.

Leo learned:

Evan leaves.

Evan comes back.

Different from the chaos Valerie created.

Predictability.

That became one of the most important words in our family.