How could you not tell me?

Jake went over to Melanie's car and opened the door,

"Hey" he said to Gabby

"Hello you're my daddy, look same as the picture." said Gabby excitedly as she showed him the picture she had of him.

Jake looked at the picture and remembered the day it was taken, it had been a few weeks before Mel and Ellie had left. It was Ellie's 7th birthday and she had gotten her very own camera and she had wanted to take a picture of him to put next to her bed, so he could protect her as she slept.

"Yeah I'm your daddy" said Jake as he lifted Gabby out of the car. "Now why don't you go into that house and in the fridge you'll find a can ok coca cola and a candy bar" he said kindly.

"Mummy can I?" asked Gabby eagerly

"Of course you can, I'll be in, in a minute." said Melanie

Once Gabby had gone into the house, Jake turned to Melanie and said,

"Well I reckon you've got some explaining to do Mel."

"Yeah I'm sorry, I probably should have called and warned you"

"No, what you should have done was call me 8 years ago and tell me I was gonna be a daddy again"

"Are you kidding me? Jake you were always drunk or working on that stupid truck, you never spent any time with Ellie. You would have made me come back."

"You're damn right I would have and I loved Ellie and I would have done anything for her and I still would but you seem to have turned her against me."

"Hey I didn't I never said anything but nice things about you in front of her."

"Whatever, then why does she hate me? Why wouldn't she take my calls? I haven't spoke to my daughter in 6 years, and I haven't seen her in 8 years. Do you have any idea what that feels like? And now I just find out I have an 8 year old daughter as well. Anything else you wanna tell me?" shouted Jake

Melanie knew better than to tell Jake about Andrew and the engagment when he was like this.

"No of course not, now calm down and sign these papers."

"What you really expect me to sign those papers? What about custody of the girls?"

"What about it?"

"Who gets custody?"

Melanie laughed at this and then said,

"I get custody, I raised them both"

"What if I want joint custody, they're my daughters too"

"You wouldn't get custody in a million years. Ellie hates you and you've only said a few words to Gabby in her whole life."

"Gabby is that her name? When was she born?"

"Gabbrielle Earl Perry, she was born on August 9th."

"Fine we'll talk later, I'm going to spend some time with my daughter" said Jake before he went into his house.