"Daddy?"
It's the first word that flies out of Zara's mouth when she sees Micah at the door. I take in his reaction, the way his lips part and his eyes travel to Zara standing behind me.
"Hi," she says shyly coming behind my leg. Micah crouches to her level.
"Hi, princess."
She bites her lip, stepping past my leg. It's like they meet each other over again after being apart for years, just like something that would happen in a movie. Zara puts her arms around his neck, Micah shuts his eyes, sighing squeezing her small body.
Zara pulls out of his arms. Running back into the bedroom. He rubs his jaw, standing up. "When?"
"She deserves to know," I look away, "just know if you hurt her in any way, I'll kill you myself."
Zara comes running back out with her backpack on her back and tabby in her arms. She smiles, showing her teeth. Picking her up I kiss her cheek, "don't cause trouble for your daddy, Zara. And you don't spoil her like I know you will, Micah."
Micah smirks, taking Zara, "can't promise you anything, Rose."
"I might be able to stay back at work, if I'm not there you can feed her dinner as well. She generally naps part way through the day so if your out she'll probably fall asleep on you. That's what she's used to doing."
Micah takes Zara from my arms, holding her in his right arm. "Don't let her run too much, with her heart.. sometimes she looses her breathe quicker. Slides, she loves slides but cries if another kid comes to it."
"Rose," Micah shakes his head. "She'll be fine, you don't need to worry."
"Oh also, I'm taking Zara for swimming lessons on Saturday. I can text you details if you want to come."
"Please do," he nods.
♔♔♔
"You what?" Marina chokes on the coffee she's drinking. "You told Zara his her dad?"
"I think he nearly had a heart attack when the door opened and she said daddy," I put some plates in the dishwasher. I can't stop rethinking the moment of his reaction. It reminds me of a time when I told Micah I was pregnant but this was in a much less angry reaction from him.
"I think it was smart doing that," Marina nods cleaning the table. "One day Zara would ask, one day she would understand about how everything works and wonder where he is."
"I would have told her he passed away- or something."
"Micah also gets the right to know her, I mean he did impregnate you and the pretty girl is his. Cause, I mean she wouldn't be that pretty if the dad was ugly, all her looks couldn't have come from your pretty face."
"I must say you are one weird girl," I laugh leaning against the counter. "But no, it's Zara who should deserve to know her father, even if I can't accept him. She should."
"Speaking of the devil," Marina looks in the other direction. "We have company."
Stepping out the counter Zara jumps up and down trying to push the door open, "Mummy! Mummy!" She claps running through the door the second she can fit through the gap.
"Hey baby," I hug her. "Are you having fun?"
"Ye! Walk on.. sand and ater go woooshhh," she nods putting her hands on my shoulder. "And we ate chippy and I got.. ice."
