“Sure, sure. Nothing special. Just a man visiting his daughter.”
The air was thick with tension. Jess’s fork froze halfway to her mouth. Adam put down his wine glass, his hand trembling.
“W-What are you talking about?” Jess murmured.
I turned to Lily.
“Hey, darling, who’s Adam?”
She said.
“He’s my real dad!”
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Then there was absolute silence.
“We were going to tell you anyway,” he said quickly. “Eventually.”
“It never felt like the right time,” Jess added.
I leaned back, still calm, too calm.
“When would have been the right time?” I asked.
“After I taught her to ride a bike? After the bedtime stories and the nightmares? Or maybe at her next birthday party, when you two would have toasted to ‘family’?”
No one answered.
“Look, I just wanted to be there for her.”
“For your daughter?” I asked.
“Interesting. You mean the child I’ve been raising for five years? The child who has my name? My eyes? My habits?”
“I didn’t want to destroy everything,” Jess said.
“I was scared. You loved her so much, and I didn’t know how to take that away from you.”
“You already did,” I said. “You just didn’t admit it.”
“You both have ten minutes. Pack your things. Get out of my house.”
Lily’s lip trembled.
“Daddy?”
“Honey, listen to me. I love you. I’m not going anywhere. You’ll always have me, no matter what.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her forehead and turned to Adam and Jessica.
“They already understood. Ten minutes.”
Adam whispered something about regret. Jessica avoided my gaze. I didn’t watch them leave. I just held Lily in my arms.
The next day, I filed for divorce.
We took a paternity test a few days later, but honestly, I don’t care about the result. She’s my daughter. I raised her, held her when she had a fever, danced with her in the kitchen. She belongs to me.
Last night, Lily stayed in bed next to me.
“Daddy?” she murmured.
“Yes, baby?”
“I don’t want to play that game again.”
“Me neither. I’m sorry, sweetheart, you’ll never have anything to do with me again.”
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and honest.
“Are you still my real daddy?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“I always have been. I always will be.”
She rocked back and forth and laid her head on my chest.
Her lip trembled.
“Daddy?”
“Honey, listen to me. I love you. I’m not going anywhere. You’ll always have me, no matter what.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her forehead and turned to Adam and Jessica.
“They already understood. Ten minutes.”
Adam whispered something about regret. Jessica avoided my gaze. I didn’t watch them leave. I just held Lily in my arms.
The next day, I filed for divorce.
We took a paternity test a few days later, but honestly, I don’t care about the result. She’s my daughter. I raised her, held her when she had a fever, danced with her in the kitchen. She’s mine.
Last night, Lily stayed in bed next to me.
“Daddy?” she murmured.
“Yes, baby?”
“I don’t want to play this game again.”
“Me neither. I’m sorry, honey, you’ll never have anything to do with me again.”
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and honest.
“Are you still my real daddy?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“I always have been. I always will be.”
She rocked back and forth and laid her head on my chest.
