And that’s exactly what happened.
He moved away. Changed his number. Cut every tie. For years she tried to find him, hoping he might at least meet his daughter… but he had vanished.
Until now.
Mark listened silently, tears rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t wipe them.
“I was young,” he said finally, voice low. “I was scared. I thought leaving was the best answer. I was wrong.”
He looked at Emily, eyes full of regret.
“When I met you at that coffee shop six months ago, I had no idea who you were. You were bright, warm, easy to talk to. I felt something real. But I never imagined the universe could be this cruel.”
Emily’s voice was flat. Empty.
“You never asked my full name?”
“You used your mom’s last name everywhere,” he whispered. “And I never imagined…”
