I was pacing around the penthouse because my father was going to arrive soon. To meet Paige and my soon-to-be daughter, Lily.
He had been married four times and divorced three times. He was someone I vowed never to be growing up, because he taught me everything about what not to do in a relationship.
“Derek,” Paige said with a hand on my arm that stopped my pacing. “It might go well. You don’t know until you give him a chance.”
“He has never been good at chances,” I said, remembering all the time I accepted his lunch or dinner invitation, thinking he was finally ready to have a talk with me as my father, only to meet his new wife.
But I let her pull me close anyway and found myself being comforted in her warmth.
“Then maybe it’s time he learns,” she whispered, kissing my cheek. “For Lily, for the baby and maybe even for you.”
The doorbell rang, and my entire body tensed.
My dad, Richard Peterson, looked older than I remembered. He had silver hair and lines around his eyes, but the same charming smile that had won over four different women. He walked into the penthouse with an air of confidence.
At least we did have something in common.
“Derek,” he said, pulling me into a hug that did not have an ounce of warmth. “And… Paige.”
Ah, so he hadn’t forgotten her after meeting her at the wedding.
But Paige took his hand with grace. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Peterson.”
“Please call me Richard,” he said, glancing around the penthouse with approval. “You’ve done well for yourself, son.”
Before I could respond, Lily toddled into the room, her eyes wide with curiosity at the stranger.
My father was already crouching down to her level before I could take her to the nursery.
“Well, hello there, little one,” he said softly, and I heard genuine warmth in his voice, which I rarely heard. “Aren’t you just beautiful? You look just like your mama.”
Lily studied him with the intense baby focus, then reached out to touch his silver hair. “Shiny.”
“Very shiny,” he laughed, making my chest tight. “That’s what happens when you get old, sweetheart.”
“O… old?” Lily said, testing the word.
“Very old. Ancient, really.” He pulled a coin from behind her ear with practiced ease, and Lily's face lit up with delight. “But not too old for magic tricks. Want to see another?”
I stood there frozen, watching my father, the man who had barely shown up for my childhood, engage with Lily like she was the most important person in the world.
What the hell?
He made her giggle with silly faces and then helped her stack blocks just to knock them down. He even got down on the floor to play without any complaint.
“Dada!” Lily called, holding up her block tower for my approval. “Look!”
“I see it, sweetheart. Very impressive.”
Richard’s eyes widened. “Dada? She calls you?—”
“Yes,” I said, daring him to start a scene. Then it’d be easier to throw him out and never see him again instead of acting like an actual decent person. “She does.”
“Good,” he said instead with a smile. “Every girl needs a father who shows up. Sounds like you’re doing much better than I did.”
I blinked at him and swallowed. He was finally accepting what a terrible father he was.
Paige’s hand squeezed mine, and I smiled down at her.
