Page 6

Chapter five

Luca

Friday, July 3, 2026

I hear a knock at my door, and the nerves coursing through me leave me feeling unsteady. My heart feels like it’s banging against my ribs, trying to fight its way free of my chest. I never feel like this. I’m usually so confident, but not right now. This I know nothing about.

Maybe my so called “confidence” is merely a mask, and I’m finally being forced to let it fall.

I rush to answer the door, eager to get this moment over with. As I unlock it, turning the knob and yanking the door open, my mouth is agape at the sight in front of me.

Ted is standing at my door, holding my daughter.

She’s beautiful.

Her tan skin and dark, fluffy curls are in complete contrast to her light eyes.

My eyes.

I suck in a breath, unable to speak yet as the small child flutters her lashes groggily at me, taking me in and attempting to sort through the new information her little mind is being forced to process.

That thought alone leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth. If Cecily had been honest about this, we’d all have been saved from so much frustration. I can’t fathom that this is really what she wanted.

“Now you see why I was so sure, huh?” He chuckles, adjusting Gia’s swaddled body in his arms.

I nod my head slowly, in a daze, but have the frame of mind necessary to reach for her. I want to hold her, comfort her, and show her all the love she’s had withheld the last few days. Maybe even months if Cecily had really not wanted her at all.

Ted gathers her up and places her in my arms. I clutch her tiny body to my chest, the yellow blanket with little white giraffes holding her snugly.

She peers up at me, meeting my gaze. Those eyes. One ice blue and the other sage green. She’s all mine. This I know for sure.

It’s as if something changed in me at a cellular level the moment she was placed in my arms. Some fatherly instinct fighting to be let free. I love her already.

If I’d seen her before the paternity test, I’d have had no doubt in my mind she was mine.

Somehow, seeing the immediate resemblance between us has me choking back a sob. My throat constricts, and my face flushes with heat as I purse my lips, holding back the tears. She’s only three months old, and I’ve already missed out on so much.

Ted reaches out, gripping my shoulder firmly. “You’re going to do great. I’m confident in this,” he says, and the way his eyes bore into mine with absolute certainty gives me the ounce of faith I need to get through this first day. “Now let me check out the car seat, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

***

Once we’re settled on the couch with a Boppy pillow on my lap, Gia coos softly, suckling on her binky.

I gently rock us back and forth, making a mental note to buy a rocking chair soon. I’m sure I’ll be needing it.

Her eyelids look heavy as she wrestles her need to sleep, doing her best to keep them trained on me, but eventually, she loses the battle between her willpower and her exhaustion.

I clench my eyes tightly shut, blowing out a breath of relief.

I should update my family.

Doing my best to avoid as much movement as possible, I wiggle my phone out of my back pocket and unlock it, searching for my family group chat.

She’s sleeping. I’ll try to update you guys later.

I snap a photo of her, making sure I have the flash turned off before I do, and send it along with my message.

Mom

Oh my gosh, look at that sweet face! When can we come over?

Arielle

Just give me a few minutes to get the kids ready, and we’ll be right there!

The messages flood in from every direction, my anxiety climbing as they do.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I just want the weekend to adjust. I’ll let you all know if I need help, but for now, I plan to bring her to dinner on Sunday. You’ll meet her soon, I swear.

Mom

We understand. See you soon, honey.

Thank god, that was easier than I had anticipated.