After months apart, Tacoma dad, daughter celebrate Father's Day in new home

TACOMA - Drondexic Darrington has a long way to go to feel settled in the new Tacoma apartment he shares with his 15-year-old daughter, Shaniah.

With most of their things still in storage, the walls of the two-bedroom are bare. They don't have any furniture, just a handful of boxes sitting in a corner. A pink guitar he gave his daughter rests next to the bright pink storage tub full of her things.

But the two are celebrating this Father's Day, reflecting on how far they've come.

"This is a way, way, way, way better situation," Darrington said.

Just a year ago, they were lucky if they even saw each other, with Shaniah staying with family in Tacoma and Darrington sleeping in his car in Seattle, hoping to find a place for them to share on their own.

He didn't imagine it would take a year and a half. It was the first experience he ever had with homelessness - and he hopes the last.

Darrington, now 38, has been the main parent for his daughter for several years. Shaniah describes their relationship as "goofy," saying they like to joke around. Darrington admits he's a little out of his element raising a teenage girl, but said he tries his best to understand her point of view. In their new apartment, he gave her the larger of the two bedrooms (with its own bathroom).

After so much time apart and now starting again on their own, it's a learning experience for them both, he said.

Previously, he and his daughter had stayed with his mom in the Tacoma home she owned for 20 years.

But then his mom had a stroke. She couldn't keep up with work and hadn't been in her job long enough to get assistance, he said. Darrington wasn't earning enough to make up the difference.

They missed mortgage payments and the bank foreclosed on the house.

"It was just like one bad thing happened after another," Darrington said.

His mom went back to Louisiana, where she's from, while Darrington tried to pick up the pieces. He had his daughter stay with family and he went up to Seattle for a better-paying job, working security at transit stations.

Darrington slept in his car, too ashamed to tell anyone about his situation.

Shaniah said he even attempted to keep his circumstances from her.

"He tries to put up this little wall, where he doesn't try to really say what he has going on," she said.

But she could track his phone's location and saw he was in a parking lot all night.

Darrington would go to work during the day and return to his car at night. He barely slept, he said. It was extra hot in the summer and extra cold in the winter. He said people tried to break in a few times, not knowing he was inside.

"I had some tough nights in the car, where I would just cry," Darrington said.

He faced more setbacks. His engine went out and next his transmission, making his car inoperable unless he could afford the expensive repairs.

Finally, he asked his uncle for a reprieve and Darrington stayed in his apartment for a couple months.

But he couldn't get any closer to finding a place of his own. His credit was bad and he couldn't save up enough to afford the move-in costs. In addition to his car expenses, he was still sending money to cover his daughter's food and other needs.

The hardest part was explaining his struggle getting housing to his daughter, he said. Shaniah said she has a better understanding now of what her dad was going through. But at the time, she didn't get why it was taking so long.

She kept asking him when they would have their own place.

"That was heartbreaking because I couldn't give it right when she needed it," Darrington said.

Darrington doesn't think he would have ever made it out of the situation if he didn't ultimately get help.

A friend had told Darrington about the family homelessness services provider Mary's Place. He was skeptical at first. He thought nonprofits only made assistance available for single moms. Still, he wrote them a letter and, to his surprise, he heard back.

It took some time, but this past spring the nonprofit helped him find an apartment that would accept his credit and covered his upfront costs to move.

Just about a month ago, he and his daughter moved in.

His life is still a delicate balance. He wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to get to Seattle for work. Once he gets home, he's only able to rest for a moment before it's time to pick up his daughter from cheer practice. After cooking dinner and making sure his daughter is ready for school in the morning, it's time to go to bed.

"Once I get through that day, that's an accomplishment," he said.

He's still figuring out how he will stay on top of their bills and get new furniture and mattresses. Once again, he's hesitant to ask for help.

But he's appreciating the peacefulness of their new apartment. Shaniah said she likes it too.

For Father's Day, Darrington plans to defer to his daughter, as he usually does, letting her choose what they'll do. He's happy they can spend the day together this year, without needing to drop her off with family or worry about sleeping in his car.

"It's just us two at our own place," he said. "So, this one's going to be a special one for us."

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.