Chapter 17
"Mark had a daughter." Hearing the words out loud makes the reality of it that more real.
"A daughter?" Mrs. Adams points to a spot on the window. "There's a streak there, dear."
I rub the cloth over the area before I step back to take a look. "That's what I believe, yes."
"You haven't met her?" It's a natural question. Of course she'd want to know that. Up to this point, the only confirmation that I have that Mark has a child are the three text messages I found on his phone. Nathan has been working tirelessly to try and piece together who the mystery child is but so far, nothing has brought any concrete answers.
"I was going through his things." I stop once I realize that I've never confided in Mrs. Adams that Mark left his entire estate to me. "I'm helping with his estate and when I was looking through his phone I saw some messages he sent. I those messages he wrote about his daughter."
"So who is this girl?" She points back at the window and I rub the cloth along the length of it again. Coming back to my old apartment building once a week to help Mrs. Adams with her chores and shopping was a delight until it came time to do windows.
"I don't know. I wish I knew." I shrug my shoulders as I walk past her. I'm determined to put the window spray and cloth away before she notices yet another streak.
"What does Jax think about it?"
I stop in my tracks at the entrance to the kitchen. I haven't told Jax. It's been days and I have yet to tell him that I know that he can't buy the shares I inherited because I won't be keeping them.
"We haven't had a chance to talk about it yet."
"Why, dear?" She's pressing. I know she's doing it to give me an outlet to talk but I'm not sure I can. I don't know why I've avoided bringing it up. I don't know why I've allowed him to make love to me knowing that I'm holding such a big secret within. Part of it has to be that I'm certain that he'll want to talk about the timing and the reminder that Mark cheated on me now likely exists in the form of a child.
"It's very complicated," I offer. It's a weak excuse and we both know it.
"Secrets have no place in love." The words are soft and gentle.
"You're right." I tap her on the shoulder as I walk past her. "I'm going to go talk to Jax now."
She nods her head as she motions towards the door. "Hurry now. You need to tell him before you chicken out."
I laugh loudly as I step through the threshold and close her apartment door behind me.
***
"She's two?" I repeat back his words. "She's two-years-old?"
"Two, Ivy." Nathan holds up two fingers as if that's going to help me comprehend the fact that Mark's daughter is just two-years-old.
"I was just on my way to tell Jax about her." I motion towards our building which is less than a half a block away. "I don't know how I'm going to do this."
"He's not there." Nathan steers me out of the heavy pedestrian traffic in the middle of the sidewalk. "I was just there looking for you."
I pull on his wrist to glance at his watch. "It's after seven. He should be at home."
"It just gives you more time to plan out what you're going to say." He taps me on the nose. "You're doing the right thing."
"What's her name?" I've been dying to know the answer. I've been craving information about Mark's daughter since I found out she existed.
"Bailey." A gentle smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.
"Does her mother know about Mark… about his death?" I still struggle to say the words. "Has someone told her?"
"I'm not sure." He glances down at his watch. "I'm running late for something, Ivy."
"Go." I push him into the sidewalk. "I'm good." The truth was that I was happy to have some time to think before I threw all of this information at Jax.