Chapter 7 - A FATHER’S FIRST PROMISE
Nathan didn’t sleep.
At four in the morning, Grace found him sitting on the stairs outside Lily’s empty bedroom.
“You didn’t know she existed,” Grace said softly.
Nathan stared at the floor.
“I should have.”
“How?”
“I should have questioned my father.”
“You were twenty-nine.”
“I loved you.”
Grace sat beside him.
“That doesn’t make you all-knowing.”
Nathan laughed bitterly.
“I spent five years hating you.”
Grace looked away.
“I spent five years hoping you did.”
He turned.
“What?”
“If you hated me, it meant you still thought about me.”
Silence settled between them.
Nathan’s eyes filled.
“I missed her entire life.”
Grace shook her head.
“That wasn’t your choice.”
“First steps.”
“Nine months.”
“First word?”
“Mommy.”
“First birthday?”
“She smashed cake into her hair.”
Nathan smiled despite himself.
Grace smiled too.
Then his face broke.
“I wasn’t there.”
Grace reached for his hand.
“You’re here now.”
Nathan looked at her.
“I’m going to get her back.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“Yes, I can.”
Grace’s eyes hardened.
“Don’t make promises to me.”
Nathan shook his head.
“That wasn’t for you.”
He looked toward Lily’s room.
“That was my first promise to my daughter.”
At eight, Richard arrived with news.
A judge had approved supervised DNA testing.
Nathan and Grace reached the clinic by ten.
Lily was brought in under county supervision.
The moment she saw Nathan, she ran.
“Daddy!”
Nathan dropped to his knees.
She crashed into his arms.
He held her so tightly the social worker had to remind him to breathe.
Lily touched his face.
“You came.”
“I told you I would.”
“Mommy said you would.”
Grace turned away, crying.
Nathan looked at Lily.
“Did the man with Grandpa’s ring hurt you?”
Lily shook her head.
“He gave me candy.”
“What did he say?”
“He said I should tell people Mommy stole me.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Lily frowned as if the answer were obvious.
“Because Mommy didn’t steal me.”
Nathan kissed her forehead.
“That’s my girl.”
The DNA test took ten minutes.
Results would take hours.
Nathan waited inside the courthouse with Grace.
At 6:14 p.m., Richard ran down the hallway.
“We got it.”
Nathan stood.
Richard handed him the report.
Probability of paternity: 99.9998%.
Grace closed her eyes.
Nathan exhaled.
Then the courtroom doors opened.
Marcus Vale walked out.
Nathan stared.
Marcus smiled.
“Nathan.”
Nathan stepped toward him.
“What are you doing here?”
Marcus adjusted the black onyx ring on his finger.
“Protecting your daughter.”
Nathan’s face turned cold.
Lily had been right.
Marcus saw where he was looking.
“Oh.”
He smiled.
“Charles gave me this.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Take it off.”
Marcus’s smile faded.
“Excuse me?”
“That belonged to my father.”
“Your father trusted me.”
Nathan’s voice dropped.
“My father warned me about you.”
For the first time, Marcus looked surprised.
Then Richard’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face drained of color.
Nathan turned.
“What?”
Richard whispered, “The judge just sealed the DNA results.”
Nathan stared at Marcus.
May you like
Marcus smiled again.
“You should have taken the warning.”
