“I was eighteen. I was selfish. I had no money, no plan. I thought you’d be better off without me.”
“How cute. You don’t get to rewrite history and turn yourself into some tragic hero.”
“Huh?” he said.
“She’s an English Literature teacher,” Wes chimed in.
“Oh.”
“Here’s the thing, Scott. You didn’t leave because it was best for us. You left because it was best for you.”
“You’re right.” He looked down at the drink in his hand.
“Why the military? You never mentioned that once when we were dating.”
“I told my father you were pregnant. It was his idea.”
“Right. I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him.”
“I’m sorry, Sam. I truly am. I’m not that eighteen-year-old boy anymore. I know I can’t repair the damage I’ve done, but I would like to get to know my daughter.”
“That’s up to her, and she’s not your daughter. Not even on paper. I wrote “unknown” under the father section of her birth certificate, like I was some whore who slept with so many guys that I didn’t know who her father was.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing, Scott. You made your choice allthose years ago. You don’t get to walk back into our lives as if nothing happened.”
“I know I don’t. I thought about reaching out a hundred times.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because the longer I waited, the harder it became.”
“That’s the thing about time,” Wes said. “It doesn’t fix anything. It just gives regret room to grow. I know that for a fact.”
The front door opened, and Zoey and Maya walked in. My eyes widened as did hers.
“Zoey, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“I forgot my laptop. What is he doing here?” She pointed to Scott.
“I figured it was time we talked,” I said.
“Zoey,” Scott said. “It’s good to see you again.”
She walked over to him, and suddenly, I became very frightened. An angry seventeen-year-old girl was never a good thing.
“Let me guess. You were scared. You didn’t want to take responsibility. You left because you thought it was best for us? Am I right?”
“Yes, you are. But you have to understand something. I was a kid myself.”
“And so was my mother! She was younger than you, and she was pregnant. She was scared and felt all alone. The fact that you made her feel that way is enough for me. And you’re right. Your leaving was best for us. I’m the person I am today because of you.” She glanced at Wes, and he winked. “We may be related, but you are not my father. And since your name is nowhere on my birth certificate, my dad, him over there,” she pointed at Wes, “won’t have any trouble adopting me.”
My eyes widenedas did Wes’s.
“And you don’t get to say a word about it. I’ve lived seventeen years without knowing you, and I can live the rest of my life the same way. You are not my family, and you never will be. But I do forgive you, Scott. People are free to make their own choices. And I chose never to speak to you again, just like you chose to walk out of our lives and never look back. You pretended for seventeen years that you don’t have a kid, so keep on pretending, because I am not your kid. Come on, Maya. Let’s get my laptop and get out of here.” They ran up the stairs.
“Well, I think my daughter has spoken,” Wes said.
