Page 14 of Rockstar Daddy's Second Chance

“She—she’s Kendrick’s daughter,” I explain, my voice barely steady. “The girl I used to… the one who opened for me. She left before I got big.” Just saying it out loud feels like reopening a wound, like I’m holding out something raw for them to see.

“Oh, Cass,” my mom whispers. “We always wondered about her. We could tell she meant something to you.”

“Yeah, well.” I let out a strained laugh. “Apparently, there was more to it. And she kept this a secret from me. For all these years.”

“Does the child know?” Mom asks softly.

“She found out just recently.” I sigh. “Mom, Cassidy’s incredible. She’s just like me when it comes to music, but she also has her mom’s voice. And I—I want her in my life. I thought you guys would want to meet her.”

“Yes. We’ll come as soon as you want us there,” she says without hesitation. There’s excitement in her voice, but I can hear the concern too. “Oh, Cass, I’m so sorry that her mother kept this from you. But you’ll make it work.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, not entirely convinced. “Thanks, Mom.”

After the call, I pace around the room, trying to rein in my emotions. Resentment sits heavy in my chest as I think about all the years I missed with Cassidy. Emotions rise and fall like a storm inside me. Kendrick kept our daughter a secret.

She made that decision without me, robbing me of years I’ll never get back. I had the right to know. But every time she’s near, every time her steady eyes meet mine, my anger fades. What replaces it? I don’t know. Longing? A yearning for unfinished things or something else–something I’m not sure how to handle?

I run a hand through my hair, and just then, Kendrick appears at the door, watching me with that familiar, guarded look. She leans against the frame, her hands pressed tightly together. “Are you okay?”

I glance at her, struggling to keep my voice even. “Do you know what it feels like to realize you’ve missed eleven years of your kid’s life, Kendrick? Eleven years?”

Her face tightens at the anger in my voice. I see a quick flash of regret, but then she raises her chin. “You think this was easy for me?” she shoots back, her voice slightly rising. “You think it was easy being a single parent. Raising our daughter alone?”

“Then you should have told me,” I demand, my fists clenching. “Why did you decide to keep this a secret?”

She hesitates, a flash of pain in her eyes. “Because… because you were so close to everything you’d ever dreamed of. I didn’t want to be the one to ruin that.”

“Ruin?” I shake my head, trying to understand. “How would knowing about Cassidy ruin anything?”

“Cass, you were on the brink of stardom. You had a shot at a life most people only dream of, and I knew that’s what you wanted. And if you knew about Cassidy, you might’ve stayed, and you would have resented me and her. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Her words hit me hard. Part of me understands, but another part of me is furious. “You never gave me the chance to make that choice for myself, Kendrick. That’s not fair.”

“I did what I thought was right,” she says, voice breaking. “Maybe it wasn’t. But it’s done, Cass. I can’t undo the past, even if it was a mistake.”

The room falls silent, and we stare at each other, our breaths heavy, tension crackling in the air. Her eyes glisten, and the weight of all the lost years presses down between us.

I take a deep breath, trying to let go of the anger. “Look,” I say, my voice softening. “I don’t want to keep fighting about this. I just—I want to make up for lost time. For Cassidy’s sake.”

Kendrick nods, her expression unreadable. “Fine, then let’s do that.”

“Good.” I take a step back, the anger settling into something else—something close to acceptance. “I have a high-end show coming up in New York. I was thinking that I’d like you and Cassidy to come with me. It’d be good for her to see more of what I do, maybe meet some of the band.”

She looks at me, eyes narrowing. “Cass, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

I nod firmly. “Yes. I want her to be part of my world.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Kendrick agrees, but I can see a strange hint of tension in her eyes as if she doesn’t know if this will be good for her or our daughter. Something is holding her back.

The next day, I get a call from Derrick to go over the New York details. I keep my voice casual as I say, “I’d like to bring a couple of people with me.”

“Who?” Derrick immediately asks, his voice curious.

“I have a daughter. Her name is Cassidy, she’s eleven. I’d like her mother to come along as well,” I tell him reluctantly, then wait for the storm to break.

“What?” I hear the shock and anger in his voice. After it sinks in, he declares, “Cass, we need to talk about this! An eleven-year-old daughter showing up out of nowhere? Don’t be a fool. Did the girl’s mother say she was your daughter?”

“I figured it out–” I begin, but Derrick cuts me off.

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