He stared at the floor.
“I gave up contact and agreed Esme would raise her without me.”
I folded my arms.
“But you always knew you had a daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I was ashamed.”
His voice was quiet.
“What right did I have to suddenly call myself her father after agreeing to disappear?”
“And when did she find you?”
“Five months ago.”
That meant before Kai and Theo were born.
“After Esme died, she left Isla my letters and my contact information.”
Ethan continued.
“Isla has been staying temporarily with Esme’s older cousin while she finishes school.”
“But she wanted to find me.”
I thought about our house five months earlier.
Twin cribs freshly assembled.
Tiny clothes folded into drawers.
My stomach huge with two babies.
“We were getting ready for Kai and Theo.”
Ethan nodded.
“I kept looking at their cribs.”
