Andre Dubus: "A Father's Story”
Details
I recently reread The Road, having heard it hits different as a father. "Why would you do that to yourself?" my wife asked, and I said I guess I'm something of a masochist.
In all seriousness, there is something to be said about the temporal shift that occurs when you become a parent—where suddenly there was your life before your child, and now there is your life after your child. The transition is stark.
"A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus is nowhere near as bleak as The Road, but I think it is similarly concerned with the fallout of that shift, and similarly inflected with theology and big questions. "To bear witness," is a phrase that comes to mind.
Anyway, this is one of my favorite stories of all time. I hope you enjoy it!