The next morning, January 2nd, 2028, New York, New York

After all of the events yesterday, Mackynzie woke up with a big smile on her face. Her father is in her life. For the first time in her life, she finally gets to know the man she never had met until yesterday. The past 24 hours has been an emotional experience of her life. Her life was always hard with school because all of the girls were mean to her because her father wasn't around. She was bullied for the fact her dad wasn't there to protect her from all of the bullies. Micah was there, being overprotective of her, even though she was older than him. Even with her brother there, Mackynzie had it hard.

She didn't have her father to take her to the father daughter dances they had from 5th to 8th grade. Her uncle took her and Addie, but it still hurt her feelings when she saw all of the girls with their dads while her uncle had to take on that role along with her cousin, Addie.

She saw her mother struggle with everything. Raising her and her brother as a single mother for fifteen years. Bailey had multiple jobs and also had moments where she'd lose her job and had to move in with her aunt and uncle for a few months before being able to get back on her feet.

Now that Cody is her life, Mackynzie finally could have those moments with her dad that she thought she'd never have with him. She got out of bed and got into the shower. After taking a nice shower, she got out of the bathroom with her hair up in her bun and changed into her favorite sweater and jeans. She took her hair out of the bun and brushed it and then put it in a tight ponytail. After putting on some makeup and headed downstairs.

Her father was cooking on the stove and her mother was reading on the couch, studying for her law exams. She walked over to her mother and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep?" Bailey asked her daughter.

Mackynzie smiles at her mother. "I slept great." She walks over to her father and wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him. "Good morning, Kynzie. Are you hungry?"

"Starving." She says with a smile. "Good. I made breakfast. Is Micah up?"

Mackynzie shrugged her shoulders. Before she could say anything, Micah yelled from the bathroom. "Mackynzie Marie, I swear you take all of the hot water every time!"

Mackynzie laughs quietly, she yells back. "Sorry!"

Micah groans as he gets into the shower.

Cody laughs. "I'm kinda glad I didn't have that problem growing up..."

Mackynzie turned to her father. "What do you mean? Mom told me you, uncle Zack and grandma stared a hotel room with one bathroom..."

Cody looks at Bailey, who smiles softly, he looks at his daughter. "That is true, but back then Zack wasn't that into showering often. Unless he saw Maddie, the candy girl, she was three years older than us. He had a huge crush on her back then."

Mackynzie giggled at that. "Oh my God. He never told us that."

Cody chuckled. "I'm not surprised. He loves your aunt. Maddie was just a crush he had. He got over it by the time he was seventeen." He placed the pancakes on a plate in front of her. "Go on try them."

Mackynzie nods as she sat down at the island and digs into them. Her eyes go wide. "Holy have mercy. These are amazing! Who the heck taught you how to cook like this?!"

Cody chuckles again. "I taught myself really. Your grandmother wasn't that great with cooking, so when I was young I taught myself, and did most of the cooking..."

Mackynzie moaned at the amazement. "I give you an 10/10."

Cody laughs and smiles. "Thank you, sweetie."

Soon after, Micah came downstairs and gets himself some breakfast. "Hi."

Bailey looks at her son. "Morning, sweetheart." She puts her book down and grabs another cup of coffee. Cody notices the book. "Studying law?"

Bailey nods her head. "Yeah, I just started school not long ago. I couldn't do it when the twins were younger so when they started high school, I decided to go to college at NYU. I didn't end up going to Yale, I couldn't do it." She sighs. "My next few exams are in a few weeks. I've been cramming studying."

Cody smiles. "Well, if you need any help, I'll be here for a few weeks."

"Thanks." Bailey says. "What's your plans today?"

Cody looks at his children. "I thought I'd take Kynzie and Micah out for the day. Spend some time together. I want to get to know them."

Mackynzie and Micah both nod their heads. "We're down for that."

"Sounds good. After breakfast, we'll go, and your mom can study alone."

"Well, thank you." Bailey says, sipping on her coffee.

After Micah finished his breakfast and getting ready, Cody, Mackynzie and Micah headed to Cody's car. They get in and he turns to his kids. "What are you two wanting to do?"

Micah smiles. "I saw on Instagram there's a art gallery in downtown New York..."

Mackynzie rolls her eyes. "You're such a nerd."

Micah rolls his eyes back at her. "Shut up, Kynzie."

Cody laughs. "Like father, like son. Zack wasn't kidding when he said you had your mother's looks, but you were like a mini me."

Mackynzie sighs. "After the art gallery, we're going to go bowling. It's been forever since I've been there."

"Alright then." Cody says, driving to the art gallery.

Meanwhile Cody, Mackynzie and Micah were out spending time together, Zack and Maya let Addie and Aydenn go bowling for a few hours since it was cold.

"Thank you, thank you!" Addie smiles. "I can't wait to get to know my uncle. I haven't had an uncle before." She jumps up and down.

Zack laughs. "No repeating this to your grandmother yet, okay, Adaylynn? I have to break the news to her first."

Addie nods her head. "Okay, Dad. I won't. I don't know about Aydenn."

"Oh, I make him keep his mouth shut, honey. Don't worry." Maya says.

"Hey! I'm right here!" Aydenn rolls his eyes.

Zack rubs his son's shoulder. "Sorry, buddy."

Two hours later, Addie and Aydenn met their cousins and uncle at the bowling alley. Addie ran over to her cousin and hugged her.

"I'm so happy for you, Kynz."

"Thanks! It feels so weird but good to get to know him." Mackynzie says, putting her bowling shoes on. After a while, Mackynzie heard her name being called.

"Mackynzie! What are you doing here?" One of the mean girls, Sierra says, walking over to her. Mackynzie rolls her eyes.

"I'm here with my cousins, brother and my dad..." Mackynzie says, with a smile.

Sierra laughs. "Really? I thought you didn't have a dad..."

Micah saw this, and walks over to them. "That's none of your business."

Mackynzie looks at her brother. "It's fine, Mic. I can handle this."

Sierra laughs. "Yeah, she's a big girl, Micah. She finally doesn't have daddy issues..."

Cody walks over to his daughter and son. He heard Sierra say that, and it didn't sit well with him. "Excuse me? What did you just say to my daughter?" He says, calmly.

Sierra smiles. "She finally doesn't have daddy issues with you. She always had daddy issues, and probably slept around to fill that pain, haven't you, Mackynzie?"

Mackynzie shook her head. "No, I haven't slept around. I'm not that stupid."

Sierra chuckles. "Whatever you say, honey." And, with that, she walks away.

Cody looks at his daughter with a frown on his face. "Are you okay, Kynz?" He says with concern in his voice.

Mackynzie felt tears coming. "She's right. I have daddy issues, and I can't control that..." She looks at her father, who sat down next to her. "Mackynzie, I'm sorry you had that happen to you because of me. You have been through a lot because I left, and I hope you can forgive me."

Mackynzie sniffed as she rubs her eyes. "It's going to take a while for me to get used to you being in my life. But, I'm glad you are here now."

"Me too." Cody says, smiling at her.

After four hours of bowling, the five of them went out to lunch and Mackynzie, Micah, Addie and Aydenn got to know their father and uncle over lunch. There was lots of laughs.

Later that night, Cody sat down next to Bailey after Mackynzie and Micah went to bed. She looks at him. "I think we should talk." She says, and he nods his head.

"Me too. I need to tell you how sorry I am for leaving you, Bails. I know there's not enough apologies I can do to repair the hurt I caused you. Fuck, I don't even deserve you to forgive me. What I did was wrong, and to be honest, very, very stupid. So fucking stupid. I was wrapped up in my own sadness, and anger that I didn't even think about you, Zack, my parents or friends." He reached slowly for her hand and grabbed it. She didn't pull away, she squeezed his as tears were filling up in her eyes.

She didn't know what to say, but he continued with his apology because she deserved it. "Bailey, I was caught up in the fact you got into Yale, and I didn't, and I was jealous-" She cut him off. "I-I didn't go..." She says with a shaky breath.

Cody took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I know. I know that now. Zack told me. You don't want to know how much guilt I feel because I missed so much of Mackynzie and Micah's lives. I wasn't there for you, and I should've been there, but I didn't know you were pregnant..."

Bailey wiped the tear that fell down her face. "I found out shortly after you left..." She says, wiping her falling tears. "It wasn't easy for me to be a single mother with twins. It was horrible. I felt so stupid for getting pregnant in the first fucking place. I was seventeen, single, and I had a lot of people judging me for it. They thought you were either dead or you denied the twins...I-" She couldn't finish her sentence because of the tears falling down her face. She looked so hurt. Betrayed by the man she knew she still loved, but she won't say that out loud.

He was married. Knowing that, Bailey felt like she could never love again.

What she didn't know, Cody filed for divorce this morning. He knew he couldn't be married to a woman who hated his daughter and son.

Cody pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. "Bailey, I'm so sorry. I really am sorry. I can't imagine how hard that was for you..."

Bailey just sobbed in his shoulder and sniffed loudly.

"I'm sorry." She says after a while of crying. "I've been just so overwhelmed for the past few years and having you here, I don't know, it helps me I think."

"I'll do whatever you need, Bailey. I'm not going anywhere."

"Really?" She asks.

"Really. I don't care if we're co parenting. I want to be in your life again. I want to be there for you, Mackynzie and Micah."

Bailey knew her face was a mess, but she didn't care. "I'm glad you want to be here for us. I never thought I'd have you here for me..."

"You won't have to worry about me leaving again. I'll be here." Cody says, rubbing her back.

AN: I will be updated more of this story. What do you think of this chapter? What will happen with Cailey? Will Bailey finally tell Cody how she feels? Find out in the next chapter!

Love you ❤