“It’s good she’s resting,” Dr. Burns said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Kara stood behind me, resting her head against my back. I closed my eyes, indulging in her warmth. She was scared for Zoey. That was why she had called me. I didn’t want to read too much into any of this. All that mattered was I was here for my daughter and her mother. In whatever capacity they needed me, I would be here.
“You must be exhausted.” I took her hand and led her to the small couch by the window just a few feet from Zoey.
“Do I look that bad?”
“I already told you you’re beautiful.”
“I didn’t sleep much last night. Zoey was uneasy, so we watched movies most of the night. This morning she was really sick. I’d never seen her that bad before. I panicked and brought her straight here.”
“You did the right thing.” When I put my arm around her, she settled against me. “She needed the fluids.” I took her hand in mine. “I’m glad you called me.”
“You’re her father.” She sighed. “Even if I don’t want to talk about it.”
“We’re not going to discuss it now but if the issue of family history arises are you okay with me telling the doctor who I am?”
“Not in front of Zoey, okay?”
“Okay.” Her words pierced my heart. Would I ever be able to tell my daughter who I was? I held Kara close, trying not to reveal my disappointment. “Tell me something I don’t know about her.”
“Like what?”
“Why did you name her Zoey?” I had so many questions about the first four years of her life. Starting with her name seemed like as good a place as any.
“When I was growing up, I had this friend named Allison. We spent a lot of time together in middle and high school. I guess you could say she was my best friend.”
“I’ve never heard you mention her.”
“I lost touch with her years ago.”
“That’s odd in this day and age.”
“Says the man with no personal social media.”
“Don’t the gossip sites do enough damage?” Thank God none of them had gotten a hold of the real story between me and Zoey. “Tell me about your friend.”
“She had a tough family life. She spent a lot of time at my house. In the beginning, I didn’t understand but as we got older and she opened up more, I realized her father was abusive, especially toward her mother.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Her mother was a unique woman. A child of hippies raised on love, peace, and flowers. A free-spirit who did anything for Allison. She was fun, creative, an artist, a writer. Nothing like any mom I’d ever seen.” Her face lit up when she spoke of this woman. “She baked cookies, taught us to dance to all the music of the sixties, and arranged hikes and outdoor sleepovers when her husband was away. Come to think of it, I never really saw him much. You would never know how hard her life was by just looking.”
“Was her name Zoey?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “I loved her name from the first time I was introduced. I’d never heard it before. It always stuck with me.”
“What happened to them?”
“Just after we graduated high school something terrible happened to Zoey. They said it was a suicide but Allison didn’t believe that. The details never added up but she wasn’t going to go against her father. The police investigated but nothing came of it. I left for college and Allison just left.”
“What do you mean?”
“She got on a bus ten years ago and disappeared. I’ve tried to reconnect with her on social media but she isn’t there. Maybe she changed her name or got married and doesn’t use her maiden name.”
It wasn’t that difficult to find people. I could locate Allison but now probably wasn’t the time to bring that up. It would only serve as a reminder of how I found Kara and Zoey.
“When I found out we were adopting a little girl, I knew what her name would be. I’d always loved it and in my own way it was a small tribute to Allison and her mom. The first Zoey was so vibrant and full of life.”
“Zoey means life,” I said.
“Our little girl is full of life.”
“Did you mean to refer to her as ours?”
“As much as I hate what you did to me, I can’t deny that you are her biological father.” She gazed at our sleeping beauty, changing the subject. “On the way over here, as sick as she was, she told me she wanted to get a manicure and pedicure.”
“Did she?” I laughed.
“Her friend Maddie gets them all the time. Maddie’s dad is rich.”
“Not as rich as Zoey’s dad.”
A hearty giggle escaped her lips. “You’re impossible.”
“I made you laugh.”
“You have a way of doing that.” She cuddled deeper into me. “She wants to sit in some fancy chair and have someone rub her feet.”
“When she’s better, I’ll have Adrian arrange a spa day for you both. I’ll make sure they have the fanciest chair.”
“Thank you for being here.”
“Always.” I tilted her chin and gently kissed her lips. “I’ll always be here.”
Kara
Xavier carried Zoey to my room while I went to the kitchen to get some juice and water for her. I wanted her to have something to drink if she woke up thirsty. I stayed in the kitchen for a few moments, trying to compose myself. It had been a long, emotional day.
When Zoey woke up this morning, she was so sick. She’d been fighting the cold and fever for two days. She was lethargic and could barely lift her head from the pillow. I’d never seen my baby so sick. I took a calming breath because she was going to be fine. It was a nasty virus and she was dehydrated. It got the better of her little body but she was going to be okay.
There was no denying the look on her face when she woke up and saw X at the hospital. She told us she dreamt about him and wished he was there to see her. He had a way of making her dreams come true.
I walked up the steps wondering how any of this would work out. It was all so complicated. I stood in the doorway as X held Zoey in his arms. He gazed out the window, quietly rocking her.
“I’m here,” he whispered before placing her in the bed.
My heart ached for what could have been. Why didn’t he just tell me the truth from the beginning instead of betraying me?
After he tucked Zoey into my bed, he lingered by her side. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to her forehead. He glanced at me, catching me staring at him. I did the right thing by calling him. Zoey needed him. I needed him. His secrets didn’t matter tonight.
“Do you need to do anything before I… go?” I heard the apprehension in his voice. “I can sit with her until you’re ready. I don’t mind.”
“No.” I crawled into the bed next to Zoey. “I just want to be with her.” I pushed the bangs from her hair, noting how warm her head still felt. “I don’t want to leave her.”
“I’ll let myself out.” He headed for the door. “Thank you for calling me. Please let me know how she feels in the morning.”