Page 40 of Pucking Daddy

I tilt my head. “Also what?”

“She’s smart. Socially. She knows what to say, how to act—especially when people are watching. In court, in front of evaluators…” His mouth flattens. “She’ll come across as a loving, devoted mother who just wants more time with her daughter.”

I nod.

His gaze holds mine.

“Lily is my whole world,” he says, quieter now. “And right now, everything I do is being measured against whether I’m ‘stable enough’ to keep her.”

I hate that word.

Stable.

Like love isn’t enough. Like showing up every day doesn’t count unless it fits into some neat little box someone else approves of.

“That’s… a lot,” I say softly.

And I get it. I do. More than I want to.

I’ve seen families fall apart over less.

I’ve seen kids caught in the middle of battles they never asked for.

And I saw the way Lily looked at him yesterday. The way she trusts him.

“You’re doing a good job,” I add quietly.

His eyes flick to mine.

“Lily is proof of that,” I go on. “She’s grounded. She feels safe. That doesn’t happen by accident.”

Silence.

Then—

“Thanks,” he says.

Rougher than before.

Like the word got caught on the way out.

I nod once.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” I add. “That’s literally why I’m here.”

His gaze holds mine.

“And I meant what I said the other day,” I continue. “I’m good at what I do. I’ll give her structure. Routine. Stability. I’ll show up.”

My voice softens just slightly. “I already care about her.”

Something in his expression changes again.

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “I can see that.”

The silence that follows isn’t awkward.

It’s… something else.