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“Hi, sweetie.” Lisa’s expression was filled with love as she hiked her daughter up to her waist. She glanced at me, but I was looking at the girl.
My daughter.
I didn’t grasp the full meaning of that before this moment. But now…I felt something. I felt something clenching in my chest as I stared down at her.
She peered at me, too, before ducking her face behind her mother’s neck.
Lisa placed her hand on the little girl’s back, and it seemed like she was subconsciously shielding her daughter from my view.
“Violet, honey, this is my friend, Nick,” she said. “Say hi.”
Violet slowly turned back to look at me.
“Hi, Nick,” she mumbled shyly in the most adorable voice imaginable.
And just like that, it was like a lightning strike to my chest. It was set.
This little girl was mine, and absolutely no one was taking her from me.
NINE
LISA
I watched Nick’s face shift as he took in my daughter—our daughter. There was a new intensity in his eyes, an emotion there that surprised me.
And it also scared me somewhat.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this meeting. I pictured that I would introduce them, and Nick would continue to be cold and standoffish. He’d look over his daughter, see how completely ordinary she was, and would immediately lose interest.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my daughter, andIknew how special and adorable she was. But I guess, to a man like Nick, Violet wouldn’t offer much in terms of exceptionalism. He couldn’t use her to gain brownie points with the media. She was just an average kid.
But then, surprisingly, the moment he saw her, something changed. He looked confused at first, then uncertain, like he wasn’t sure how to feel.
However, in an instant, that changed the second she mumbled, “Hi, Nick.”
“Hi, Violet,” he greeted, and then he reached out and touched her hair. “These are beautiful pigtails.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “Mommy did it.”
He glanced at me. “Your mommy is very talented. But only a beautiful girl like you could pull it off.”
And then, my daughter, the shyest person in the universe, giggled and actually reached for the hair that skimmed his collar. “I like yours too.”
Nick leaned in and let her touch it, and she ran her hands over it. He smiled. “Nice, huh? It’s because of all the products my barber likes to use. I can show you some. Would you like that?”
“Yes, please,” Violet responded.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I didn’t like it.
I drew my daughter back protectively, and she ducked her face behind my neck again. Nick frowned at me, his jaw tightening.
I knew what he wanted to say. His expression told me he wanted me to tell her he was her father right now.
I shook my head frantically, pleading with my eyes. The silent argument continued with his jaw tightening even more, clear displeasure on his face. But ultimately, he nodded.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright,” I said, trying to keep the nerves out of my voice. “Thanks for giving me a ride, but I know you probably have a lot of work to do.”
