“It’s not an option,” Ray said. His voice was firm. “The situation with Sean is complicated.”
“But…” I began, but Ray cut me off with a look. He turned back to the group.
“Let’s get the numbers for those modeling agencies.”
CHAPTER THREE
Sean
“Lock up when you’re done, Sean,” my boss said as he waved goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”
“Night,” I said.
The back door closed with a boom, and I was alone. I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the counter. Everything in the shop was closed for the night. I locked up the equipment and closed out my accounts, but I wasn’t quite ready to leave. Going home would mean sitting alone in my living room and watching television while eating a microwave dinner for one. I was in no hurry.
Instead, I used the office computer to log into my bank account. I wanted to see how much money I had. Maybe I could send Claire a little extra for Paisley. Three fifty would cover the camps, but maybe Claire could buy her some extra art supplies.
When I saw my account balance, I knew I was dreaming. It would be a stretch to send the last hundred and fifty to Claire. There was no way I’d be able to swing more until the following month. I sighed and logged off the computer. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d spent Paisley’s entire life failing her, why should anything be different now?
As I sat there, I remembered my conversation with Claire earlier in the day. Her offer seemed genuine, but I didn’t trust her. Claire’s history of lying and cheating made me hesitant. She wanted me in Paisley’s life today, but what if that changed tomorrow? What if I let myself hope and then Claire took that hope away from me again?
For years, I wanted nothing more than to see my daughter. I thought of Paisley every single day. I wondered what kind of person she was becoming. Except for a few pictures twice a year, I didn’t know anything about her. Claire kept Paisley safely tucked away, far removed from me. As much as I hated her for it, part of me was grateful. If Paisley never knew me, I could never truly disappoint her.
Still, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to take Claire up on her offer. Getting to know Paisley would have been a dream come true. Maybe, after all these years, we could have a real father-daughter relationship. I smiled at the thought, but it quickly faded from my lips. There was a reason I didn’t fight Claire over Paisley. Paisley deserved the world and I couldn’t give it to her. She deserved a good life and, so far, Claire had provided exactly that. I didn’t know if I could do the same.
My mind was still racing when I heard the front door ding. I jerked my head up with a frown. We’d been closed for an hour. Who was coming inside?
“I’m sorry, we’re closed!” I called from the back. I poked my head around the corner and saw a man wearing a suit step further inside. Rolling my eyes, I stood up and walked out front.
“Are you Mr. Yates?” the man asked. “Sean Yates?”
“I am,” I said suspiciously. “But like I said, we’re closed for the night. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
“Mr. Yates,” the man said. “I’m not looking for a mechanic. I’m sorry, but I have some bad news.”
The world around me seemed to shrink at his words. A million possibilities flew through my mind. My father died. My brother was in the hospital. The FBI was investigating the shop, and I was being arrested.
“A few hours ago,” the man continued. “Your ex-wife, Claire Holland, was in a car accident. She was pronounced dead on scene.”
Of all the horrific possibilities flooding my mind, that was the last thing I expected. I blinked. My heart was racing. My breathing slowed. I shook my head slowly, not wanting to believe what the man was saying. Immediately, I pictured Paisley’s face.
“Paisley,” I said weakly. “My daughter. What’s going to happen to her now?”
“That’s why I’m here, Mr. Yates,” he said. “Paisley Holland is at the police station downtown. We had an officer pick her up from summer camp and a CPS agent informed her of her mother’s death. The same agent is with her now.”
“CPS?” I asked. My mind was blank.
“Child Protective Services,” he explained simply.
“I know,” I said impatiently. “What happens next? Does she go to Claire’s parents or...”
“Mr. Yates,” the man said slowly. “I thought you were aware of the situation. Your ex-wife has no surviving family other than Paisley. Her parents died years ago, and she was an only child.”
“I never met her parents,” I said with a shake of my head. “She didn’t keep in touch with them when we were married.”
“By law, custody of Paisley transferred to you upon Claire’s death,” the man said. He looked at me like I was going to combust at any moment. “Now, if you’re unprepared or unwilling to accept that responsibility, we’ll assign her to a foster home, and she’ll become a ward of the state. It’s up to you.”
His words felt like ice being poured in my ears. My entire body went cold as I thought of my baby girl being taken to a stranger. I remembered the way she looked as a baby. Small and pure. I was terrified to hold her because I thought she might break. Even then, I knew she was special. Part of why I agreed to stay away was because I didn’t want to rob her of her innocence. I didn’t want her to inherit my bad luck.
“No,” I said suddenly. I shook my head firmly. “She’s my daughter. I’ll take her. I want her.”
“Good,” the man smiled for the first time since he’d arrived. “Come with me, then. I’ll take you to her. You’ll need your I.D. so we can fill out the necessary paperwork.”
“Okay,” I nodded.
***
At the police station, I climbed off my bike and walked over to the man’s car. He climbed out and motioned for me to follow him inside.
“I don’t know your name,” I realized, speaking out loud.
“I’m Tony Hudson,” he said.
“Nice to meet you,” I said awkwardly. Every inch of my body was shaking with nerves. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this way before. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. It was like I was living inside of someone else’s body, someone else’s life.
“Relax, Mr. Yates,” Tony said kindly. “She’s your daughter. She’s just going to be happy to see a familiar face amid all this.”
“I’m not familiar to her,” I explained. “She doesn’t even know me.”
“She will.”
Tony’s words, more than anything, calmed me just enough that the shaking stopped. I followed him inside the police station and down two hallways. We turned to the right and there she was. She was sitting with her back to the far wall. Her eyes were focused on her feet and her dark hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. She was wearing an overly large t-shirt and shorts that covered a bathing suit. She must have been at swim camp when they picked her up.
“Go ahead,” Tony said. He nodded toward Paisley. I moved without thinking.
When I approached her, she looked up quickly and stared at me with wide eyes. I couldn’t tell if she recognized me or not.