We scheduled another appointment.
That afternoon, I finally replied to Elon.
“I’m not ready to discuss our marriage. But you’re Sophie’s father, and I’m not preventing you from having a relationship with her. You can visit Wednesday at six at my parents’ house.”
He responded immediately.
“Thank you. I’ll be there.”
On Wednesday, he arrived eight minutes early.
He looked exhausted.
His shirt was wrinkled.
He hadn’t shaved.
He was carrying a stuffed giraffe with
the store tag still attached.
Dad opened the door.
Looked at him.
Then silently stepped aside.
Elon spent the next hour sitting on the floor with Sophie.
He tapped the bottoms of her socks.
“Boop, boop, boop.”
She kicked happily.
I watched from the kitchen doorway.
It was a strange feeling.
Seeing the man who’d broken my heart making our daughter laugh.
I still loved him.
That was the difficult truth.
But loving him didn’t mean I had to excuse what he’d done.
When it was time to leave, Elon looked at me.
“Maddie, I meant what I said in those messages.”
I nodded.
“Maybe you did.”
He swallowed.
“I really am sorry.”
I looked directly at him.
“But you also meant what you said to Sierra. You told her you hated me. You promised her a future.”
His eyes filled.
“I know.”
“And I don’t know which version of
you I can trust anymore.”
He looked down.
“What can I do?”
I adjusted Sophie in my arms.
“Start by being the father you promised to be. Show up when you say you will.”
He nodded slowly.
Then he kissed Sophie’s head.
“Goodnight, baby girl.”
Three weeks later, I returned to work.
That morning, I dropped Sophie at Little Sprouts daycare at 7:45.
Her teacher, Miss Teresa, smiled warmly.
“We’ve got her, Mama. You go have a good day.”
I handed Sophie over.
Then I walked out.
I made it to the parking lot before I started crying.
I sat in my car for ten minutes.
Then I wiped my face, fixed my makeup, and drove to the office.
When I walked through the door, there was a banner hanging above my desk.
WELCOME BACK, MADELINE!
One of the letters was backward.
Renee grinned.
“Josh made it.”
“I can
tell.”
My coworkers had brought donuts.
Someone had framed a photograph of Sophie and placed it on my desk.
