We’re going to have to talk about it and really see if we can move forward. I hope we can. Because now that I have him and my daughter has her father, I don’t want to let him go.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
Alie
Seraphina colors at the table while Liam and I cook. I decided on spaghetti because it’s her favorite and it’s easy. He stands beside me, bumping my hip with his lightly.
“You want to tell her during or after?” he asks.
“Um, I think when it feels right?” I suggest. Timing on something like this, I suppose, is instinctual.
“Can I be the one to tell her?” He looks at me hopefully.
I nod slowly. “Yeah, I think that makes sense.”
“Hey, wook!” Sera shouts.
We both turn to see her holding up the picture she was coloring.
Liam wipes his hands and walks over to her. “That’s beautiful,” he says, taking it in his hands.
She beams. “Thank you.”
He starts to come back to the stove, but I wave him off.
“I got this.”
He nods, smiling.
I listen to them talk as I finish the meal. He’s so sweet with her. And I can tell she feels a natural ease with him. If I hadknown him better before, I would have never believed anything Aaron said because this man that I see now … adores our little girl.
When we sit down to eat, there’s a bit of nervous energy underneath the normalcy of the moment. We listen to Sera ramble on while we nod and smile.
Then, about halfway through dinner, Liam clears his throat.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
She looks up at him.
“There’s something we need to tell you.”
“Okay.” She looks at us curiously.
“You know how your mommy has a daddy?”
“Poppy?” She looks at me.
I nod. “Yes, baby. Poppy is my dad.”
She looks back at Liam. “Yes, my Poppy.”
“Right, exactly. Well, I’myourdad.”
I look at his face, and I can see the emotion written all over it.
Sera looks from him to me. Blinks. Then back to him. “My daddy?”
