Page 104 of Worth the Risk

“Hello, Daddy!”

Daddy. I’m a daddy.

Still so hard to believe.

“Hello, Riley.” I smile back and say to Kylie, “Hello, Kylie. Please come in.” I stand back and allow them entry.

Riley runs straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, and placing her hands on the glass, she peers out.

“Wow, Mommy, look. You can see far, far away!”

Kylie joins Riley, kneeling beside her. “Yes, baby girl, you can. Look over there. It’s the park that has the carousel in it.”

“I want to go. Can we go, Mommy? Please, please, please?”

Something in my heart cracks while observing the interaction between them.I want that.The easy conversation between a parent and child. I make a vow that Riley and I will be that close. I’ll be an important part of her life.

“Sure, but not today. We’ll go tomorrow. It’ll be late soon, and we still have to get you bathed for bed.”

“Pinky promise?” Riley says to Kylie, holding up her little pinky.

Kylie gives her that smile, the one I remember so well and have never forgotten.

“Pinky promise,” she responds as she links their pinkies together.

“Riley, would it be okay if I joined you tomorrow?” I ask. My mind begs for her to say yes.

Riley smiles. “Okay, Daddy. Will you ride the horses with me?”

“Of course. I used to ride them when I was your age.”

“Was that a long, long time ago?”

I chuckle.How old does she think I am?“Not all that long ago, Princess.”

Riley peers at me quizzically. “Am I a princess?”

“You are to me.”

“I thought I was a Knight?”

Kylie and I laugh. “You’re that too,” I respond.

“Okay,” she says, shrugging.

Kylie stands up and takes her by the hand. “Could you please show us to our room?”

Nodding, I grab their luggage and motion for them to follow me to one of the guest rooms. I’ve stocked the en suite bathroom with everything Kylie told me Riley would need. After that, I take them on a tour of the penthouse, which Riley is now calling her palace. This little girl is quickly taking over my heart. I love watching her enthusiasm throughout the tour and her giddiness about staying here.

After I leave them to their bedtime routine, I grab a beer out of the refrigerator, pop the top, and go into the living room to sit on the sofa. It is a surreal feeling. If you had told me last week that I’d be here with my daughter and Kylie, I would have never believed it. So much has changed. My world has turned on its axis this past week.

I finish my beer and grab another before sitting back down. Kylie comes into the living room, wearing a pair of blue sleeping shorts, a matching top, and her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Sitting on a chair opposite me, she curls her legs underneath her, and just like that, I’m bombarded with memories. I remember her sitting that way. It’s funny how, after all these years, it is those simple things about her I’ve not forgotten.

She smiles. “That went well.”

I was so nervous about how Riley would respond to me, but it went smoothly.

---