“I almost didn’t.”
More silence.
Then she takes a breath. “Everett, I have a daughter,” she says.
My brain doesn’t process the words at first.
“That’s good for you,” I say flatly.
“She’s yours,” she explains.
Everything inside me stops.
“What?” Asking her to repeat what she just said, there is no way I heard that right.
“She’s yours,” Sydney repeats.
I push off the fence and start tracking along the dirt path. “Is this some kind of joke? It’s not funny,” I say, feeling the anger rise in my body.
“I’m not joking,” she says firmly.
“How old?” I ask.
“Three.”
Three.
My head starts spinning. “You’re telling me I’ve had a kid for three years and you never thought to mention it?”
Her voice stays calm. “I wasn’t planning on telling you.”
I stop walking. “What?” I ask.
She sighs. “I didn’t want to complicate your life.”
A harsh laugh escaped me. “You mean like this?”
“I know you’re angry,” she says.
“You think?”
She sighs again. “Her name is Emily.”
Emily. I have a daughter. The name echoes in my head like a shockwave.
“I’m not asking you for anything,” Sydney continues. “I just thought it was unfair not to tell you. I know she’s three and you missed out, but I realized I was doing the wrong thing by keeping her a secret from you.”
“Unfair?” I ask.
“Yes, to you and to her,” Sydney says.
My hand drags across my face. “You’re telling me I have a daughter?”
“Yes,” she replies.
“And you’re just…what? Dropping this on me now? Why now?”
“I thought you deserved to know,” she says.
