“I raised you better than to believe random words from a stranger.”
I shake my head. I’m not getting anywhere with her on this, and I’m not going to. She’s never going to see the error in her ways. Moving forward, I have to decide what’s best for me and my daughter. Regardless of what memories I have, I have to make the choice for me, and for Kendrix. “He’s more than a stranger, Mother, and you know it. He was once and who knows, maybe he will be again.” I say maybe, but I can already feel it. The connection we have. I feel like I’ve always known him. I just wish I could remember it.
I turn toward the door, and she grabs my arm, her hand gripping my coat. “Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“You can’t just leave me here.”
“Really, Mother? How old are you? I’m going. Kendrix and I will be home later. And just so you know, we’re having a paternity test done. Not on his insistence but on mine. And when the results come back, when I have the hard evidence in black and white, she will know her father.”
“Delaney, no.” She gasps like I’ve just told her I’m dying.
“And when she asks me why? When she asks me why she’s just now meeting her daddy, what should I tell her? That her grandmother is a lying, conniving piece of work, who kept him from us? That she told us lies about my past to keep us in her pocket? Do you have any ounce of remorse for your action?”
“I was protecting you. Both of you.”
“From what? From a man who loved me, who loves her? From being happy. You wanted control, and like a fool, I gave it to you. I was beaten down, depressed from my loss of memory, and I trusted you to guide me. Guess what, Tillie?” I ask, using her name. “You lost that trust, you lost a daughter and a granddaughter. This is my home, and you’re not welcome here.”
“Where am I supposed to go?”
“You’re the almighty lady of knowledge. Figure it out. I don’t want you here when I get back.”
“Delaney, you don’t mean that.”
“Don’t I? I can’t stand to look at you or be around you. I’ll be damned if I have you around my daughter, poisoning her mind about her father for no other reason than he’s not what you wanted for me. He’s not some high society jackass. He’s a man. A good man with a heart of gold, and he’s going to be in our lives. I don’t know in what capacity, but I can only hope that somehow through this shitstorm you’ve caused, I can find my way back to him.” With that, I walk out the door, slamming it behind me.Chapter 12KentThe cookies are in the oven, and the kids quickly grew bored of waiting. Knox ran off to play with his trucks, while Everly and Kendrix stayed with the adults. Ridge has Everly curled up on his lap and me, well, I’m holding my little girl. She followed us into the living room and crawled up on my lap like it was the most normal thing in the world for her to do. She’s sitting still just watching, as is Everly.
Kendrix sits up and places her hands on my cheeks.
“What’s up, sweetheart?”
“Is that her daddy?” She drops her hands and points to Everly and Ridge.
I swallow hard, hoping to dislodge the lump that sits in my throat, but it’s still there. I don’t know where this conversation is going to go, but I don’t want to lie to her. I also promised Delaney I would wait for the results, and I vowed to myself to never lie to her again. “Yes, that’s her daddy.”
“Oh, my daddy isn’t here.”
You hear that? That’s the sound of my heart cracking wide open. “Everyone has a daddy.”
“But he’s not here.”
There’s a knock at the door. Kendall calls out that she’ll get it, and a minute later, I hear her voice. Delaney is here. I exhale, not realizing that I was holding my breath, worried about this conversation.
“Looks like everyone is nice and relaxed.” She steps into the room, taking the seat next to me.
I might look relaxed on the outside, but inside, I’m shaking. I’m a wreck over the words of my daughter. My daddy isn’t here.
“Did you have fun making cookies?” she asks Kendrix.
“I did. They haft to cool down.”
Her eyes find mine. “You okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah.” She leans her shoulder into mine. “I’m okay.”
There’s something different about her. She almost seems… lighter, as if the load she’s been carrying on her shoulders has been lifted.
“Uncle Kent,” Everly says, pulling me out of my thoughts. She’s standing in front of me, holding a book. “Read story?” she asks, handing it to me.