Father’s Day used to be a significant day for my family to celebrate, but when my daughter told me a secret that nearly broke my heart, I ended up discovering a truth that forced me to intervene.
My daughter Lily is five years old. It’s my world, full of fun and wonder!
Lily makes me feel like a hero just by asking me to open the peanut butter jar. And I was happy to be her dad.
My wife, Jessica, and I had Lily right after our wedding. We hadn’t planned on becoming parents so soon, but we were ready.
I’m a 40-year-old, experienced, unobtrusive electrician, and Jess runs a photography studio in our garage.
So last week I picked up Lily from preschool. She climbed into the backseat, smelling of paint and raisins, and said something that surprised me.
“Dad, can we invite my real dad to Father’s Day dinner?”
My foot slipped on the brake! We stopped dead in our tracks.
“Your… real dad?” I asked.
She was shaking and her curls were bouncing.
“Yes! He comes when you’re at work,” she said.
Struggling to process what she was saying and also suffering from the denial, I turned to look at her and replied, “Maybe you’ve done something, darling.”
« Uh uh », disse.
“He always comes and brings me good things like chocolate, and we play tea. Sometimes Mom makes him dinner, and you know him. He told me he’s my real dad.”
So I created a plan.
“Wow,” I said, thinking quickly.
“It’s… a nice surprise. Hey, honey, want to play a game? Invite him to dinner on Sunday. But don’t tell Mom. And don’t tell him I’ll be home. It’ll be fun, and our little secret.”
“A game?”
“Yes. But it has to be a secret. Don’t tell Mom, okay?” I reminded her.
“Okay! I love games!”
I smiled and leaned down to kiss her head, but inside I was breaking down.
That morning, I got to work while she packed up the equipment. Pancakes for breakfast. A trip to the park. Lily picked out the centerpiece for dinner at the supermarket, a slightly crooked bouquet of sunflowers. When we got home, Jess was gone.
I told my wife that Lily and I would be out all day, to do something fun on a special day. However, I revealed that I would call the babysitter and leave Lily with her while I went out to visit my parents.
He knew he couldn’t predict me until much later.
At 6:07 PM, someone knocked.
I took a deep breath, opened the door, and nearly dropped the serving tray!
Adamo.
He’d been my best friend since college. He was my best man, my fishing buddy, and my daughter’s “Uncle Adam.”
“Hey… bro. Wow, I didn’t know you were coming back. What a… what a surprise!”
“Danny?!” she said. “What are you…?”
I pushed open the door with a smile.
“Come in, buddy! My best friend! We were about to eat.”
He had an exhausted expression. Jess looked like she was about to collapse. I stepped aside, pointing at the table like a game show host.
“Dinner’s hot. I don’t want it to get cold.”
They followed me inside.
“I told him it would be fun!” she muttered, scooping the potatoes onto her plate like it was Christmas.
Adam sat stiffly, visibly sweating. Jess avoided my gaze as he sat down.
“So,” I began, sitting down across from him. “It’s been a while. Have you been busy?”
“Yes,” he said. “The work was crazy.”
“Sure. It’s not too crowded to come visit us, huh?”
“What does that mean?” Adam asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just heard you were out and about. You brought some chocolates. You had dinner together. You made some friends.”
Jess dove in too quickly.
“He’s only been here once or twice. Lily loves having visitors. You know how she is.”
“Just once or twice?” I asked.
“Maybe… three times,” he shouted. “It wasn’t much.”
“Right, right. Nothing special. Just a guy stopping by to visit his daughter.”
The air stiffened. Jess’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Adam put down the wine with a shaking hand.
“W-what are you talking about?” Jess muttered.
I turned to Lily.
“Hey, honey, who’s Adam?”
He said.
The silence that followed was total.
“We would have told you,” he said quickly. “Eventually.”
“I never thought it was the right time,” Jess added.
I leaned back, still calm, too calm.
“When would be the right time?” I asked.
“After I taught her to ride a bike? After the bedtime stories and nightmares? Or maybe at her next birthday party, when you’d both toast to ‘family’?”
No one answered.
“Look, buddy, I just wanted to be there for her.”
“For your daughter?” I asked.
“Interesting. Are you referring to the one I raised for five years? The one with my name? My eyes? My habits?”
“I didn’t mean to destroy everything,” Jess said.
“I was scared. You loved her so much, and I didn’t know how to take that away from you.”
“You already did,” I said. “You just didn’t admit it.”
“You both have ten minutes. Get your things. Get out of my house.”
Lily’s lip trembled.
” Dad? “
“Honey, listen to me. I love you. I’m not going anywhere. You’ll always have me, no matter what.”
” All right. “
I kissed her forehead and turned to Adam and Jessica.
“You heard me. Ten minutes.”
Adam whispered something about apologizing. Jessica couldn’t meet my gaze. I didn’t watch them leave. I just held Lily in my arms.
The next day I filed for divorce.
We started the paternity test a few days later, but the truth is, I don’t care about the results. She’s my daughter. I raised her, held her when she had a fever, danced with her in the kitchen. She’s mine.
Lily lay down on my bed last night.
“Dad?” he murmured.
” Yes sweetie? “
“I don’t want to play that game anymore.”
“Me neither. I’m sorry, my darling, I’ll never have anything to do with you again.”
He looked at me with wide, sincere eyes.
“Are you still my real dad?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“I always have been. I always will be.”
She moved and rested her head on my chest.
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