Page 57 of Broken Boss Daddy

Drawing a blank, I looked out at the street. “I don’t know.”

A moment passed by, then my father stepped up next to me. We watched people and cars go by until I glanced back at the door, Abby’s giggles coming through.

“Are you going to tell me why there is a child in your home, and why you look so nervous about it?” he asked.

I didn’t answer him straight away as it occurred to me I could lie and tell him it was a friend’s child who I was babysitting. But lying about my daughter felt very wrong, and kind of made me feel sick.

There was nothing about Abby I was ashamed of. I would shout it from the rooftops that she was my child if I could. There was just something about telling my dad that I had been a father for years that seemed quite daunting to me.

No doubt he would be disappointed in me for getting a “one-night stand” pregnant. I felt like I had disappointed him enough in life, and I wouldn’t let him spin a story around one of the best things to have ever happened to me.

So I gave him some version of the truth. “Do you remember Jessica?”

“The girl you brought to dinner?”

“Yes. That’s her.”

“Oh. She was polite enough.”

That was the best compliment Jess was going to get out of my father. By the way his lip twitched, I wondered if he had more regard for her than he was letting on. Taking a deep breath, I said, “She has a daughter. Abby.”

I left out the part about Abby being related to both of us, and it was a good thing too. My dad looked like I had slapped him silly with a pancake.

“Wait. Let me get this straight. You’re dating Jessica, who has a daughter. Now that daughter is in your apartment, and Jessica is nowhere to be seen?”

“Basically.”

“And, are they the reasons why you haven’t said yes to the residency yet?”

I didn’t have a response. He already knew the answer. Even my silence was enough for him.

My father turned around and paced a few steps. I knew what was coming and prepared myself for his lecture.

“I’m speechless, Grant. Actually speechless. All this time, you’ve been dragging your feet because of some woman and a little girl. Unbelievable. You have this massive opportunity staring you in the face. An opportunity that very few people get, and one that only comes around once-in-a-lifetime. Are you really thinking about giving that up for some temporary moment of playing family? You’re throwing your life away for some woman and a kid that has no influence over your future—”

My father continued on with his rant, but I stopped listening. All I could think about was how wrong everything that he said was.

Jessica and Abby had everything to do with my future, more so that I imaginedIhad to do with it.

Tuning it my dad, who was still going on about how I was running my life, I watched a small family cross the street together. The parent’s made sure their three young kids crossed the street safely, then they all laughed at something one child had done.

A small smile played at my lips, and I pictured what it would be like if that was Jessica and me with our kids.

I was reminded of all the time I had spent with Jess before Abby, and how explosive our connection had always been. There hadn’t been much time for me to think about our relationship away from Abby, but it was one of those things that felt as natural to me as breathing.

Jessica had been the one-that-got-away for years, and she still kind of was. I missed her. Then our daughter came along, and it was like my entire world brightened.

Before the offer came along, I planned on telling Jess that I wanted it all. That I was ready to be there for everything—for Abby, fatherhood, and her.

There wasn’t a part of me that doubted us. I was madly in love with AbbyandJessica.

All those weeks ago, that was the only thing on my mind. It was all I wanted to tell Jess.

But that went out the window with the mere possibility of the new job. As much as I hated myself for it, I couldn’t deny that it was alluring. My heart was with those amazing girls, my brain wanted to be in the hospital.

Instead of telling her about my struggle, I took away everything that we had worked so hard to build. No wonder she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me for a prolonged period.

Facing the door where I could hear Abby talking to the TV like it could hear her, and my father’s voice filtered through my thoughts.

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