“A test?” I raise an eyebrow at her, and she nods.
“What did you ask for?” Isaac asks as he kneels down beside me.
“For my daddy,” she whispers, and my feet come out from under me as I drop down onto my ass. Holy shit. She never talks about having a daddy or wanting one.
“When did you ask Santa for this?” I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear while I try to remain calm. My beautiful little girl. I’m sure she sees Dasher with his son, making her wonder about her own father and where he’s been.
“On Christmas Eve when I went to bed. Maybe it was too late.” She scrunches her cute nose.
“Who do you think your daddy is, Rae?”
“I’m not sure.” She steals a peek over at Isaac. “It’s not that Paul man.”
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I wasn't sure if she even remembered him at all, but there was still a worry I was hanging on to about it.
“You remember Paul?” I was kind of hoping she didn't. It’s not something I want to hide from her, but I do want her to be older so I can explain it better to her.
“Not really. But it’s not him.” She’s adamant about that, and I have to swallow the laugh that wants to escape. She turns to Isaac and tilts her head. “We have the same eyes.”
“We do,” Isaac agrees as she reaches over and pokes him on the cheek.
“We both have a dimple on one side and not the other.” He snags her by the wrist and kisses the end of her finger that she used to poke it.
“My mom used to say I could get anything with that dimple.” Isaac smiles as he tells her this. “She had the dimple too.”
“My mom says that too!” Rae lights up as she admits this secret.
“Come on. Those big blue eyes and her flashing that dimple at me are my weakness,” I admit while Rae keeps going.
“Then you showed up and I thought maybe Santa came through but…” She shrugs, and Isaac closes his eyes for a moment. I reach out and grab his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Isaac is your daddy, Rae.” Her eyes light up while her mouth falls open. “A long time ago Isaac showed up in my life and we made you. Then I lost him, and I didn't get to tell him about you.”
“Where did you go?” she asks him while taking a step closer. I answer for him, seeing he’s overcome with emotion.
“A bad man took him from us. But that didn't stop our Isaac. He kept fighting, and the moment he got free he came right back to us. Then he found out about you.”
“I knew you’d end up with a prince!” Rae shouts.
“Not a prince, honey, a king. One that has a princess.” Rae points to herself in question. “Yeah, baby, you’re his princess.”
“And you’re my daddy.”
“I am,” Isaac confirms just as she throws herself at him.
He catches her and holds her tight as I wipe away my tears. This is a happy moment, and I can tell Isaac is fighting his own. “I love you, sweetheart,” he tells her.
“I love you too, Daddy.” Words have never sounded so sweet in my life.
Isaac stands with her in his arms as he carries her back to her bedroom. I walk into mine, wanting them to have their moment together.
I sit on the bed waiting for Isaac, worried what he’s going to say when it’s only the two of us. Thirty minutes later he walks into the room, closing the door behind him, then comes straight for me.
“I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you for giving me that little girl and keeping her safe when I couldn't.” Before I can respond, he’s kissing me. “I love you so damn much.”
I burst into tears, unable to stop them now. “I’m so sorry! How are you not mad at me? I should have looked for you. I should have done something. All those years!”
“Shh, baby, it's okay.” He places kisses on my cheeks. “Your tears are killing me here.”
“They won’t stop.” I hiccup a laugh.
“I don’t want you thinking that shit. Who knows what would have happened if you started to dig? What Paul might have done to you? I promise you it was better this way. Paul was always my mess to handle. Don’t let that fucker hold guilt on you. I don’t want him having anything over you.”
“I love you too. You know that? Paul and I never even had sex. It’s only ever been you.”
“It doesn’t matter. You still would have been mine, and it only goes to show you how crazy he was. He had a shot with you and fucked it over. Even with as much as I hate him, he still brought me to you.”