"Daddy."
That did it. Hearing the word in that soft voice broke him clean in two. He hugged her closer, almost crushing her small ribs.
Abigail's knees went weak and she had to lower herself into the chair. Seeing them together made her realize that this was the right thing to do. Her little girl had obviously been pining for a father.
Easing back, Zoe clasped her small hands on his face. "I look like you."
He nodded, words stuck inside his throat.
He tried to speak, but emotion rendered him silent for a moment. With trembling hands, he gently brushed a stray curl from her forehead, taking in the details of her face as if committing them to memory. The resemblance was undeniable, but it was the warmth in her eyes that truly connected them.
Overcome, he finally managed to whisper, "You're perfect."
She giggled at that. "Grammy Addy says I can be a terror."
"That's not true." He lifted her into his arms and went to the sofa in front of the table. "Why don't we get to know each other?"
She nodded.
Abigail sat there watching the two of them bond and felt a peculiar twist in her heart. Minutes ticked into half an hour, during which she kept looking at her watch. She had meetings lined up and had kept her daughter out of school for the meet.
But father and daughter ate and drank hot chocolate and chatted about everything. She filled him in on her life, dance recitals, ballet classes, books she enjoyed and what her best friend was up to. He in turn talked to her about the publishing house.
They were like two adults having a reasonable conversation.
He touched her a lot, as if trying to remind himself that she was really here. He trailed a finger over her cheek, tugged on her long tail of hair, teased her when she talked about hating spiders and loving cats.
When she leaned in to kiss him, Abby could see the tears glistening in his eyes. They had completely forgotten about her. She used the time to check her emails and respond to a few text messages.
They both looked up when she rose.
"I'm afraid it's time to leave."
"No. Mama, can I stay?" She looked at her father. "Can I?"
"I'm sure Mr. Cade has things to do."
"I would love her to stay." His expression was pleading. "We could take a tour of the place, and you tell me what you think."
"I'm not sure."
"Mama, please!"
Two identical faces turned towards her, and she felt herself weakening.
"All right." Forcing a smile, she walked over to kiss her little girl on the forehead and tried not to think she was losing her.
"I'll come and pick you up."
"I'll take her back. Just let me know when."
She wanted to lash out at him but managed to rein in her anger. "I'll call. Behave." She touched her daughter's cheek before stepping back.
Before she reached the doors, they had started talking, forgetting about her. The pain was sharp and blinding. She had no idea how she made it out of the office and into the elevator that would take her downstairs.
Rushing towards the car, she sat there for a moment trying to compose herself. Taking a few short breaths, she called up her brother's number.
"Are you at the office?"
