My 5-Year-Old Wants to Invite ‘Her Real Dad’ to Our Father’s Day Dinner

“He’s my real daddy!”

The silence afterward was total.

“We were going to tell you,” he said quickly. “Eventually.”

“It never felt like the right time,” Jess added.

I leaned back, still calm, too calm.

“When would’ve been the right time?” I asked.

“After I taught her to ride a bike? After the bedtime stories and the nightmares? Or maybe at her next birthday party, when you both would’ve toasted to ‘family’?”

No one answered.

“Look, man, I just wanted to be there for her.”

“For your daughter?” I asked.

“Interesting. You mean the one I’ve been raising for five years? The one who has my name? My eyes? My routines?”

“I didn’t want to destr0y everything,” Jess said.

“I was afraid. You loved her so much, and I didn’t know how to take that away.”

“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.

“Daddy?”

“Sweetheart, listen to me. I love you. I’m not going anywhere. You’ll always have me, no matter what.”

“Okay.”

I kissed her forehead and turned to Adam and Jessica.

“You heard me. Ten minutes.”

Adam whispered something about being sorry. Jessica couldn’t meet my eyes. I didn’t watch them leave. I just held Lily.

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