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Follow Me: Uncle Cracker

"Mommy, do I have a daddy?"
"Will I ever Meet my daddy?"
"Does my daddy love me?"

These are the questions I hear everyday from my daughter.

Yes she does have a daddy.
She will meet him one day.
And I don’t know if he loves her.


I have only had sex once in my life. So I know who the father of my daughter is, I’m just, not so sure he knows.

His name is Joe. Joe Jonas.

I met him at my 18th birthday party, at a club.

He was with his brothers, and Garbo, from his band.

I never knew dancing with a complete stranger could lead to, well, this.

Sometimes I sit in my room, while Avery sleeps, and think "Why did it have to be me?"

I don’t regret Avery. Ever. Not a second I’m with her do I regret. I just wonder why God chose me.

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On this beautiful Monday morning, I was lying in bed with Avery on my stomach, curled into a ball sleeping.

Avery is not a morning child. She would scream and throw a fit if you wake her up before 8.

But today, I had to. She had to get a shot today.

She wouldn’t cry. I know she wont. She gets shots everyday.

I found out Avery had Type 1 Diabetes when she was two and a half years old.

She didn’t get it form her dad and I know she didn’t get it from me, so she must have got it from her Uncle Nick.

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I sat up, pulling her up to my chest.

She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, holding on for dear life. She knew what was coming next.

"Avery. Baby, its time to wake up." She shook her head, her black curls bouncing everywhere. "We have to see the doctor today."

Her eyes shot open. She shook her head again.

"You have to. Your going to get a shot, And if you don’t get your shot, you will get sick. Do you want that?"

She shook her head ‘no’ again.

"So will you be good for the doctor?" She nodded this time.

"Thank you baby. Now lets go get you a bath."

I got off the bed with her still hooked onto my neck, and walked into the bathroom. I sat her on the counter.

"How bout you brush your teeth?"

"Yes ma'am"

She got her toothbrush out of its holder and put some water on it, then toothpaste.

As I was letting the bathtub fill up, I brushed my teeth with her.

We finished and she rinsed out the sink for me.

I pulled her shirt, and underwear off of her, and set her in the warm bath.

I got down on my knees next to the tub, so I could bathe her.

"Momma."

"Hmmm?"

"Why do you love me?" I looked into her brown eyes.

"Avery, I love you because, you’re my baby. And you’re my gift from God."

She giggled, "I’m not a baby, momma. I’m a big girl!"

She splashed a little water in me.

"Alright, big girl. Don’t splash water on me.” I finished giving her a bath, and dressed her.

I put her hair in cute little braids, it had cute baby curls at the end.

"Momma! Can we get ice cream!?"

"After your shot we can. I need you to check your sugar for me please."

She ran the kitchen. I few minutes later I heard her squeal. I ran in there after her.

"What’s wrong, baby?" I picked her up, watching the tears flow from her eyes.

"It hurt mommy!"

"Oh. Baby girl, it'll be okay. Hand me your meter."

I put the blood on her test strip, it was normal.

"How bout some yogurt for breakfast?"

"Yeah!"

I pulled the vanilla flavored carton out of the fridge, and put some in a little bowl for her.

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We sat in the waiting room, Avery in my lap watching Sponge bob videos on my phone.

"Avery James." The nurse said.

She looked up at me, then hopped off my lap. I followed them to the back.

"Second door on the right."

We walked in, and I sat Avery on the bed.

Then nurse came in with a needle. She took Avery's left arm and massaged it.

"Okay Avery. I need you to relax for me. Your just going to feel a little pinch."

She nodded.

Avery closed her eyes as the nurse slid the needle in her arm. Fighting off tears, I assume.

"All over honey. Do you want a Dora band-aid?"

"Yes ma'am!"

The nurse smiled and put the band-aid on her arm.

"Here’s a sucker."

"She cant have that. She’s diabetic." I spoke up.

"Oh. Poor thing. Here, how bout a teddy bear?" She handed Avery a pink teddy bear.

"Thank you."

I helped Avery off the bed, and we walked back towards the car.

"Momma?"

"Yes darling?"

"Can we get ice cream now?"

"Yep."

"YAAAAAAAAAY!" She squealed.

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We decided to go to Dairy Queen because they had a play ground. After I was done ordering, I turned around and Avery was gone.

"Avery?"

I looked around.

"Avery!?"

I heard giggling.

I looked towards the back of the building, I saw her in the arms of a stranger.

"Avery Michelle!" I ran towards her.

"Put her do-oh my god." I dropped our ice cream.

"Joe.” I whispered.

I watched the way Avery acted towards her father, bad thing was, she didn’t know, and neither did he. Nick stood up in front of him.

"Dude, I think your holding her kid."

Joe turned around, he almost dropped Avery.

"Emily."

"I...Uh..T-Thats my daughter." He set her down.

"Don’t you know who I am?"

Of course I do. You’re the father of my daughter.

"Yeah. You’re Joe Jonas. Of course I do."

“No no. We...We uh..." He looked down at Avery.

"Avery go play outside while I get us more ice cream." I said.

"Okay mommy!" She ran out the doors. I sat down at the table with him and Nick.

"I know what we did. You don’t have to say it. But do you know what you did?"

Nick looked at Joe, Joe looked at me. Confused.

"No. What did I do?"

"YOU didn’t wear protection." I could see it clicking together with Nick, but not with Joe.

"So what?"

"Dude! You weren’t just holding her kid! You were holding your kid!"

His mouth dropped open.

"Ho-How do you know it’s mine? It could be someone else’s."

I stood up.

"Excuse me!? What do you take me for?! I am not a whore! I have only has sex once in my entire life and that was with you!"

Both Joe and Nick looked scared. But I didn’t care.

"My daughter asks me everyday 'Do I have a daddy?’ ‘Does he love me?' What am I supposed to say to that!? Tell her that her dads some famous rock star and doesn’t even know she’s alive!? Go tell her Joe! Go tell her right now that you’re her father!"

He slowly got up from his chair and walked outside.

I sat back down, cooling off.

"Is he really the father?"

"Yea." I sighed.

"How old is she?"

"Three."

"Dang. I knew she looked like him."

"She has diabetes." He looked at me.

"What?"

"Found out a couple months ago. Type 1 Diabetes."

He shook his head and looked down.

Avery came in the doors, crying. I saw Joe sitting on the ground with his head in his hands.

"Mommy. That man said he’s my daddy."

I picked her up.

"That’s because he is, baby." She started crying again.

"But you said my daddy doesn’t live here."

"He doesn’t. He’s just visiting."

She smiled at me.

"Does my daddy love me?"

"Go ask him."

She jumped off her chair and ran back out the doors, jumping into Joe's arms.

I saw him nod a few times, then Avery kissed him.

I guess she loved him back.

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I’m going have to work this out.

Joe had his right to his daughter, and she wanted to see him. So I cant stop her. I have to let her go.

Its kinda sad, I’m falling in love with my daughter’s father. And she told me today, "Mommy, Daddy said he loves you."

Good, cause i love him too.