Page 12 of Jackass

She stood there, as frozen as I was.

I watched as Beck squatted down in front of the little girl.

“Hi there. My name is Beck.”

“My name is Charlie,” the little girl replied.

Her name was Charlie, a nickname for Charles. Was she my daughter? The tight grip I had on the handle of the shopping cart made my knuckles turn white.

“Charlie, do you know my friend here?” Beck pointed over at me.

“Yup, that’s my daddy.” She beamed.

I still couldn’t move. What the hell was wrong with me? Thank God Beck was here. She seemed to function just fine. Beck was having a conversation with the little girl.

“How old are you, Charlie?”

“I’m four,” she said and held up four little fingers.

Wait, she’s four? I looked over at Sammy. She stood there, wringing her hands.

Suddenly, I was no longer frozen. I was pissed.

“Is she mine?” I growled.

Sammy stood there wide-eyed, biting her lip. I waited for her to answer.

“Sammy?” I snarled. “Is. She. Mine?”

“Jack, calm down.” Beck stood and walked to me.

She placed her hand on my arm, and I shook it off. I stepped around her and stood in front of Sammy.

“Answer me, Sammy,” I demanded.

She just looked at me. She didn’t say a word, but she nodded.

“What the fuck?” I whispered to her, conscious of my daughter listening next to me.

My daughter.

I had a daughter.

Fuck.

“Jack,” she whispered back to me, “I can explain.”

“You damn well will explain.”

I turned my back on her and stared at my little girl. My hands ran through my hair. I looked helplessly at Beck.

“What the hell do I do?”

“Why don’t we all go back to the clubhouse? You two can talk there.” She looked over at Sammy, waiting for her to agree.

“I-I need to take Charlie home first, then I can go to the clubhouse,” Sammy hedged.

“Fuck that.”

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