"What if she doesn't let me?"
"Sadie?" He raised an eyebrow. "The woman who sent you Casey's birth certificate and newborn photo this morning? I don't think keeping you away is what she wants."
I looked down at the photo again. Sadie's exhausted, radiant smile. Casey's tiny fist.
"She's scared," Dr. Reyes said quietly. "Just like you are. Scared of what this means. Scared of getting hurt. Scared of Casey getting hurt."
"I would never hurt Casey."
"I believe you. But Sadie doesn't know that yet. You need to show her."
"How?"
"By being the father Casey deserves. By proving that you're not going to disappear when things get hard." He paused. "By forgiving Sadie for doing the best she could with an impossible situation."
"I'm not ready to forgive her."
"That's okay. You don't have to be ready yet." Dr. Reyes's smile was understanding. "But eventually, for Casey's sake, you'll need to work together. To be co-parents, even if you can't be anything else."
The thought of Sadie with someone else someday made my stomach turn, but I pushed it aside.
"One step at a time," I said.
"One step at a time," Dr. Reyes agreed. "What's your first step?"
I thought about Casey's question through the window.Is he coming back?
"I need to talk to Casey," I said. "Tell her I'm not going anywhere.” My voice caught. "That I love her. Even if she doesn't know I'm her father yet."
"That sounds like a good first step."
I tucked the photo back in my wallet, feeling steadier than I had since yesterday. Still angry. Still hurt. But less lost.
"Thank you," I said.
Dr. Reyes nodded. "Same time next week?"
"Yeah. I think I'm going to need it."
As I walked back to my truck, my phone buzzed. A text from Sadie.
Casey keeps asking when you're coming back. I told her I don't know. Please… she misses you.
My chest ached.
I sat in my truck in the parking lot, staring at the message. More texts from Beck, from Holly, from Coach. But this one from Sadie was the only one that mattered.
I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't go to practice. I'd already missed the morning skate. Couldn't go to the clinic. I couldn't go home and sit in my empty condo while my thoughts spiraled.
Casey needed new skates. I'd promised her before everything exploded. Before I knew she was mine.
Was I supposed to keep that promise now? Or would showing up make everything worse?
I needed to do something normal. Something that didn't involve anger or betrayal or lawyers.
I pulled up directions to McKenzie's Sporting Goods and started driving.
The sales floor was quiet on a weekday afternoon, with a few customers browsing the aisles. I headed straight for the hockey section, where rows of sticks lined the wall.
