Junior Reporter
I Want To Be There
The whole drive back to my apartment I was fuming. I couldn’t believe I let him know so easily. I was never going to tell Patrick that he had a daughter, even if he did technically know her. I never thought he would figure it out so quickly.
“Mama?”
“Yeah Hales.”
“Why were you fighting with Patrick? Jon said you were fighting.”
“We weren’t fighting sweetie, we were just talking. Mama used to be friends with Patrick and Jon.”
“Jon said Patrick was your boyfriend.”
“We’ll talk when we get home Haley.”
We drove the rest of the way home in silence. Haley sang softly along with the songs on the radio. As soon as we were in our parking lot she started with the questions again.
“Mama, are you mad at me?” She asked with a slight frown.
I stopped unbuckling her car seat and took her face into my hands. “Never. I love you more than anything in this whole universe. Mommy was a little mad at Patrick.”
“Why?”
“I’ll tell you the whole story when we get upstairs, okay?”
She nodded and climbed out of the car. I tried to walk as slowly as possible to try and figure out how I was going to tell Haley that Patrick was her father. Before I knew it though we were at our door.
We walked into the living room and Haley sat down on the couch waiting for me to talk. “Mommy?”
“Yeah. Hang on baby. I just need to think for a second.” I let out a sigh before sitting on the coffee table in front of Haley. “How do I even start this?” I mumbled to myself.
Thankfully someone knocked on my door, making me breathe out a sigh of relief. I assumed it was just Amy coming to ask how Haley’s first day went. My relief was washed away when I saw those crystal blue eyes staring at me. “Patrick.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Now isn’t a good time.”
He stepped into the doorway like he knew I was going to shut it. “I’m her father. I think she deserves to know.”
“I was just about to tell her Pat.” I said in a harsh whisper.
His eyes grew wide. “C-can I stay?”
While I thought about it I heard Haley come out of the living room. “Patrick! What are you doing here?”
“Hey. I was just talking to your mom about something.”
“Mama, can Patrick stay for lunch?”
I looked down at her, her eyes so full of hope that her new ‘friend’ would be able to stay. “I guess so. First, we need to finish that talk.”
“Okay.” She smiled and ran back into the living room.
Patrick went to follow her but I grabbed his arm. “If I tell her this, tell her that you’re her father, you need to be in this 100% Patrick. I won’t let you come and go in and out of her life as you please. If you break her heart even once I swear I’ll never let you near her again.”
Pat nodded. “I know. I don’t want to miss anymore. I want to be there for our daughter. Please Jo.”
I nodded and led Patrick into the living room where Haley had taken her spot on the couch back. “Patrick, you can sit by me.” Haley beamed up at him.
Silently he nodded and sat on the couch next to her. I took my place back on the table and let out a long breath before beginning again.
“Okay. Do you know how your cousins have a mommy and a daddy? They have Auntie Shana and Uncle Luke.”
Haley nodded. “Yeah.”
“And you’ve only had a mommy.”
“Yeah. Cause I’m special.”
I giggled and placed my hands on her legs. “Yes you are. The most special little girl in the world. But everyone has a mommy and a daddy.”
“Even me?”
“Even you Hales.”
“Who’s my daddy?”
My eyes stung. I didn’t think I would cry or even get emotional. Pat nodded at me, signaling for me to continue. “Well…Patrick is your daddy. What Jon said earlier was true. Patrick was mommy’s boyfriend.”
Her little face scrunched up in confusion as she looked at Patrick. “How come you didn’t know me before?”
Pat opened and closed his mouth a few times. I knew he couldn’t answer that question.
“Well baby, momma didn’t tell him about you because he was busy with hockey. And Mommy was going to take care of you by herself.”
She still had a confused look on her face while she stared at Patrick. “So…can you be my daddy now?”
Patrick’s eyes glazed over as he smiled down at our daughter. “Yeah. I can.”
Her face went from confusion to pure elation as she launched herself at her daddy. Patrick wrapped his arms tightly around her, his eyes catching mine after a minute. He smiled at me and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to me.
I never thought that seeing Patrick with Haley would make me so emotional. A tear slipped from my eye, which I quickly wiped away. Haley turned to face me just as I did.
“Mama, why are you crying?”
I laughed at myself quietly. “I’m just happy that you know your daddy now.”
“Mama?”
“Yeah Hales.”
“Why were you fighting with Patrick? Jon said you were fighting.”
“We weren’t fighting sweetie, we were just talking. Mama used to be friends with Patrick and Jon.”
“Jon said Patrick was your boyfriend.”
“We’ll talk when we get home Haley.”
We drove the rest of the way home in silence. Haley sang softly along with the songs on the radio. As soon as we were in our parking lot she started with the questions again.
“Mama, are you mad at me?” She asked with a slight frown.
I stopped unbuckling her car seat and took her face into my hands. “Never. I love you more than anything in this whole universe. Mommy was a little mad at Patrick.”
“Why?”
“I’ll tell you the whole story when we get upstairs, okay?”
She nodded and climbed out of the car. I tried to walk as slowly as possible to try and figure out how I was going to tell Haley that Patrick was her father. Before I knew it though we were at our door.
We walked into the living room and Haley sat down on the couch waiting for me to talk. “Mommy?”
“Yeah. Hang on baby. I just need to think for a second.” I let out a sigh before sitting on the coffee table in front of Haley. “How do I even start this?” I mumbled to myself.
Thankfully someone knocked on my door, making me breathe out a sigh of relief. I assumed it was just Amy coming to ask how Haley’s first day went. My relief was washed away when I saw those crystal blue eyes staring at me. “Patrick.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Now isn’t a good time.”
He stepped into the doorway like he knew I was going to shut it. “I’m her father. I think she deserves to know.”
“I was just about to tell her Pat.” I said in a harsh whisper.
His eyes grew wide. “C-can I stay?”
While I thought about it I heard Haley come out of the living room. “Patrick! What are you doing here?”
“Hey. I was just talking to your mom about something.”
“Mama, can Patrick stay for lunch?”
I looked down at her, her eyes so full of hope that her new ‘friend’ would be able to stay. “I guess so. First, we need to finish that talk.”
“Okay.” She smiled and ran back into the living room.
Patrick went to follow her but I grabbed his arm. “If I tell her this, tell her that you’re her father, you need to be in this 100% Patrick. I won’t let you come and go in and out of her life as you please. If you break her heart even once I swear I’ll never let you near her again.”
Pat nodded. “I know. I don’t want to miss anymore. I want to be there for our daughter. Please Jo.”
I nodded and led Patrick into the living room where Haley had taken her spot on the couch back. “Patrick, you can sit by me.” Haley beamed up at him.
Silently he nodded and sat on the couch next to her. I took my place back on the table and let out a long breath before beginning again.
“Okay. Do you know how your cousins have a mommy and a daddy? They have Auntie Shana and Uncle Luke.”
Haley nodded. “Yeah.”
“And you’ve only had a mommy.”
“Yeah. Cause I’m special.”
I giggled and placed my hands on her legs. “Yes you are. The most special little girl in the world. But everyone has a mommy and a daddy.”
“Even me?”
“Even you Hales.”
“Who’s my daddy?”
My eyes stung. I didn’t think I would cry or even get emotional. Pat nodded at me, signaling for me to continue. “Well…Patrick is your daddy. What Jon said earlier was true. Patrick was mommy’s boyfriend.”
Her little face scrunched up in confusion as she looked at Patrick. “How come you didn’t know me before?”
Pat opened and closed his mouth a few times. I knew he couldn’t answer that question.
“Well baby, momma didn’t tell him about you because he was busy with hockey. And Mommy was going to take care of you by herself.”
She still had a confused look on her face while she stared at Patrick. “So…can you be my daddy now?”
Patrick’s eyes glazed over as he smiled down at our daughter. “Yeah. I can.”
Her face went from confusion to pure elation as she launched herself at her daddy. Patrick wrapped his arms tightly around her, his eyes catching mine after a minute. He smiled at me and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to me.
I never thought that seeing Patrick with Haley would make me so emotional. A tear slipped from my eye, which I quickly wiped away. Haley turned to face me just as I did.
“Mama, why are you crying?”
I laughed at myself quietly. “I’m just happy that you know your daddy now.”