The Story of Tonight

Chapter Eight

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing outside the hospital. It felt like hours, but realistically couldn't have been more than thirty minutes. Had he actually heard her right? Lin eased himself down onto nearby steps. He chugged water from a bottle he had purchased from a nearby stand.

"A daughter?" The volume of his words were only an octave above a whisper, but gave him the same feeling of nausea he had felt when he had first heard Vanessa say she was his. The vibration of his phone had been incessant since he had first texted his family and then Tommy Kail to let them know about the accident. He had gotten out of the show tonight, but knew the continued buzzing of his phone wouldn't stop until he gave some sort of explanation as notifications chimed in from his publicist and other members of the cast and crew. And they only want to know about the accident. He let out an audible groan, pushing his fingers through his hair, not having the slightest clue where to even start. He turned his phone on 'do not disturb' and stuffed it into his pocket.

His head fell into the palm of his hands and he allowed the weight of the revelation to overtake him and just cry. He had never been a guy who was intimated by his emotions, but he could say this was the first time he had sobbed in public. He wasn't thinking about the people who were walking past him in the streets or the potential that this image of him could be trending by 8:00 p.m. on twitter. All he could think about was the young, injured girl in the hospital bed who was his daughter. The one who he, only by chance, met in an autograph line less than a month ago. The one he was sure Vanessa would have never told him about.

Vanessa. He wiped at the tears on his face. He couldn't place the words or emotions he was feeling when he thought about her. How could she do this to him? To Emilia? He took his phone back out and went to the text thread between the two of them. She had had his number all of this time and never once thought to mention anything? He had found her phone number in less than thirty minutes when his only intention was to ask her out to coffee. What was her excuse for not finding his for nearly fifteen years to let him know he was a father?

Lin had never thought much of a timeline, but had always known he wanted to be a dad. Whether it was the relationship he had with his niece and nephews or the connections he had made as a teacher with his students, he always loved being around children. His last serious relationship was Vanessa and, aside from a few flings throughout the years, hadn't met anyone whom he could picture growing a family with. He figured it would happen when it happened. He certainly didn't think when he woke up that morning he would be finding out that it already had.

He stood up from the stoop, and fiercely scrolled through his list of contacts on his phone. He wanted to call the first attorney he found and immediately have them tell him everything they knew about parental alienation and custody arrangements. He wanted to go back into the hospital and tell Vanessa his full intentions of getting Emilia. He would tell her how pissed he was and how fucked up it had been for her to keep Emilia a secret from him. That she allowed him to connect with her these past few weeks, knowing the truth of their relationship.
He headed towards the doors of the hospital, but before he could open them he saw a man in a chair of the lobby. More specifically, Lin's eyes directed towards the little girl who was resting her head on her shoulder, donning a pink cast. The depiction reminded him of the moment Emilia realized Vanessa was in the room. They were different reactions, but the same word applied: safe.

He backed away from the door, and sat back down on the stairwell. He took a deep breath. "Fuck," he said breathelessly. He knew if he went inside he would say and do things he'd regret. He pulled his knees up and leaned back onto the railing as he took in his first lesson of fatherhood: always put your kid first.

It had only been an hour since she had woken up and she was already ready to be discharged. The characters on the walls of the pediatric wing only made Lia more annoyed as their cheerful faces wouldn't stop looking at her. The doctor had come in not too much longer after her mother had arrived and told her she'd be there at least another hour for monitoring. She tried explaining to him that her backpack was currently in a, presumably, totaled Escalade that she needed to track down. The doctor and her mother quickly shot down her idea.