Patrick looks at me before taking my hand in his, giving it a squeeze.
“Patrick’s your father.”
Tears well in her eyes. “He is?”
I nod. “It’s a long story and I don’t have all the energy to tell you it today, but he’s your real dad.”
She smirks. “I’d actually already worked that one out. Duh.”
Patrick chuckles. “I knew you were a smart cookie.”
She moves closer, dropping to her knees in front of us. “I’ve got your eyes.”
He taps her on the nose. “That was the first thing I noticed.”
She bites her bottom lip. “I never really asked Mum about you. I thought you didn’t want me.”
My eyes fill with tears. We never talked about it because she didn’t ask and I never knew how to bring it up. And then Mark came into our lives and took on the stepfather role so completely.
“That was never the case, sweetheart. But I’m glad you had Mark.”
Sophie flicks her gaze between us. “You don’t mind that I called him Dad, do you?”
Patrick shakes his head. “No. He was your dad for a while. I’m here now.”
“Are we moving to live with you?”
He shifts his gaze to me. “We haven’t decided anything yet. I think we need some time to adjust to all of this and get used to each other.”
I bite down a laugh. I’m sure if Patrick had his way, we’dbe moved in with him already and getting on with our lives. But the reality is far from simple.
Sophie and I have a home here—I have work and she has school. Patrick is in a one-bedroom apartment.
We do need time together both as a couple to make sure we’re going to work, and as a family. If things didn’t last between Patrick and I, we’d have to work out custody and the thought of that is enough to give me another headache.
The solution in my mind is for us to move to Auckland and get a place for the three of us. It would mean giving up my job here, but there are more jobs up there and I could rent out this place for income.
“So, if you two are together, does that mean I’m finally gonna get a baby brother or sister?” Sophie grins.
I raise my eyebrows.
“Maybe,” Patrick says.
I swallow hard. He doesn’t know that Mark and I tried to have a baby.
It’s bittersweet in some ways, as if we’d had a baby there would’ve been something left of him.
“Mum?”
I shift my gaze to Sophie. “Yes?”
“Are you okay? You look like you’re coming down with one of your headaches.”
I reach for her hand. “I’m fine. It’s all a lot to take in. I wasn’t sure how you would take the news about Patrick. Turns out you’re way too smart and it’s not a problem. I’m so proud of you.”
And just like that, everything’s out in the open.
I’m not sure what the future holds, but it looks like we’re all facing it together.
