Standing slowly, not wanting to make too much movement and wake her up, I pull my phone from my pocket and look at the screen. It’s a text message from Reagan. Clicking it, I see an image of Kendrix and me from earlier today. She’s sitting on my lap looking up at me. Her head is tilted back and we’re both smiling. In the background is Delaney. She’s watching us with a small smile playing on her lips, and the look in her eyes, it’s… longing? Hopeful?
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I lean over and kiss Kendrix on the forehead. “Night, baby girl.” Daddy loves you. Soon. I’ll be able to say those words soon. Turning off the bedside lamp, I creep out of her room, pulling the door almost closed, leaving it open just a crack in case she needs something. I want Delaney to be able to hear her. I move to start down the hall and startle when I see Delaney sitting on the floor. Her back is against the wall, and her knees are bent, her arms hugging them to her chest as her head rests against them.
I take a seat next to her, stretching my long legs as far as they’ll go in this small hallway. “What’s going on?”
She’s quiet for several long minutes before turning her head to look at me. There are tears in her eyes. “This is all so… overwhelming, Kenton.” She’s back to using my full name. “How could my mother have done this? And worse, what if all that you’re saying is true, but you’re still not her father? Then what? I can’t remember,” she says as a tear slides down her cheek. “She is the most precious gift in my life, and I can’t remember a single second of her being conceived. And if she’s not yours… then… she has to be yours.”
“Come here.” I put my arm around her shoulders and she leans into me without hesitation. “That’s not the kind of person you were, Laney. You were loyal and loving, and you were the best thing to ever happen to me. I know this is hard for you, baby, and I’m trying to remember that you can’t, but I promise you that you were not sleeping with anyone else. That’s not who you were.”
“I hate this. I hate that you have all of these memories of us, and I have this… blank space. I have you in my dreams, holding your hand out to me, but I don’t know where you’re asking me to go. I hate that we lost you and everything we missed out on.”
“I’m sorry.” I don’t know what else to say. And in reality, I don’t think she needs me to say anything. I think she just needs me. I think she needs someone to hold her and let her cry out her frustrations. She needs someone who is on her side, no matter what, and I’m that guy. So we sit here in the hallway outside our daughter’s bedroom door, and I hold her while she cries silently into my chest.* * *I hear a soft giggle, one that sounds like my daughter, and it’s too real to be a dream. Peeling my eyes open, I see Kendrix standing in the hallway, a teddy bear in her hands, still wearing her pink princess pajamas. “Morning, princess.” The endearment falls from my lips easily.
“Mr. Kent, did you and Mommy have a sleepover?”
I take a minute to survey my current situation to see what she sees. Delaney is lying on the floor with her head on my lap, curled up on her side. I’m in the same position I was in last night—back against the wall, legs bent out in front of me, and I can already feel the ache seep in from sleeping in the same position all night long.
“We fell asleep.”
“In the hallway?” She giggles.
Delaney opens her eyes. “Hey, sweetie.”
“Momma, you and Mr. Kent had a sleepover.”
Delaney jerks to a sitting position, blinks, and takes stock of what our daughter sees. “We uh—” she starts, but I cut her off.
“How about you go brush your teeth and get ready? So I can take you and your mommy to that special place I was telling you about.”
“Yay, but my belly is angwy,” she says, scrunching up her nose.
I can’t stop the chuckle that her words evoke. “We’ll stop and pick up breakfast too. Go get ready.” She jumps and spins, rushing back into her room.
“Where are we going?”
“First, you get ready. I’m going to run home and grab a quick shower, and then I’ll be back to pick you ladies up. Then we’re going to make our daughter’s belly happy. I promised to take the two of you somewhere special, and I plan to do just that. So, get moving, woman.” I tap her leg and pull my stiff body from the floor. I offer her my hand, helping her to stand. She starts to walk down that hall, but I pull her back to me. I cradle her face in my hands and lean in, placing my lips next to her ear. “Morning, beautiful.” I kiss her neck and then force myself to step away.