I had tried mentally preparing myself to see Gabriella again. But the second Gabriella opened the door, our eyes locked. Instantly, I had the wind knocked out of me and forgot how to breath. Everything I was mentally repeating to myself before coming was forgotten. All I could think about was how beautiful she was as all the feelings came flooding back like some sealed floodgates were opened again. Gabriella was even more beautiful than I remember.

As we made small talk, I was sure I saw a spark of desire and attraction in her eyes. It made me wonder if there was still something between us. I quickly pushed that thought aside, reminding myself I was, in reality, not a fantasy.

I was sure I had to be dreaming when Gabriella hinted that I was Melody's dad. Either that, or I heard Gabriella wrong. I thought back to Sophomore Spring Break. It seemed like it was a lifetime ago.

"Our last Spring break together," I repeated when I found my voice.

Gabriella nodded, "Yeah, we spent the week exploring San Francisco with our friends. At night we would sneak away and..."

I stopped her, "I remember. Can I see her?"

She hesitated for a moment as she considered my request. "Sure."

She stood up and headed for the stairs in the kitchen. I was right behind her. She stopped in front of a closed door and placed her finger to her lips. She motioned for me to wait.

I nodded in agreement.

Gabriella slowly opened the door a crack and slipped in first. I waited outside for her. She came back out moments later, and I quietly followed her.

The nursery was painted in bright blue and sunny yellow colors. There were cute little animals painted on the walls. In the corner was a changing table with a rocking chair beside it. It was your typical nursery.

I turned around and saw a little boy sleeping in a crib below some letters spelling out Truett. Curiosity sparked in me as I studied the little boy, who couldn't have been more than two-years-old.

Who is he? And why didn't Gabby mention him? Could he be my son?

I blinked when Gabriella waved me closer to the crib. Shaking my thoughts out of my mind, I slowly approached the crib. Once, I was standing over the crib, I saw a little girl next to the little boy.

Looking at her, I knew she had to be my daughter. She looked exactly like Gabriella except for her honey-brown hair and nose. Both of which she clearly got from me. She was a mixture of Gabriella and me.

I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Happiness and love welled in me as I realized this wasn't a dream. I really did have a daughter, and she's completely perfect. She already had my heart, and I couldn't love her more if I tried.

I couldn't have been happier than I was at that moment. I was sure I was on cloud nine, and nothing could bring me down.

I really have a daughter, I kept repeating to myself.

"She's beautiful," I whispered, unable to take my eyes off her.

Gabriella smiled with pride, "she sure is," she agreed.

We watched them for another minute before tip-toeing back out. Gabriella made sure the monitor was on before leaving the door ajar. Neither of us said anything until we were back downstairs.

"So are you OK with Tuna roll-up for lunch," Gabriella asked the second we set foot into the kitchen again.

"Yeah," I replied, not sure what it was. "Never heard of it, but I'll try anything once."

Gabriella nodded with a smile that made my heart skip a beat, "Great, the kids love it."

I helped her unload the stuff in her arms, and our hands brushed together. Immediately I felt a jolt of electricity, causing me to pull my hand away instinctively. Gabriella looked shocked, and I wondered if maybe I shouldn't have pulled back.

Gabriella quickly averted her eyes away from me to the stuff on the counter. She shoved the loaf of bread toward me, showing me what to do. It almost felt like she was trying to find a distraction. I wondered for a second if maybe she also felt the electricity when our hands brushed.

The idea quickly faded when the picture of her with the same guy I saw her with three years ago caught my eye. Judging from their smiles, the chemistry between them, and the love between them, I'd say they're pretty happy.

Jealousy hit me hard square in the chest. Whoever that guy was, he had everything I wanted with Gabriella. Everything that I'd given anything to have with her three years ago. Everything that I still wanted with her but was too afraid to admit, even to myself.

But now, there was no denying it. I still loved Gabriella. Nothing was going to change that. All the girls I had gone on dates with in the last three years were nothing compared to Gabriella. Sharon had come close, but only because she reminded me of her. If I had to choose, though, Gabriella would still be my choice. She always would be.

We were working in silence like a well-oiled machine. Three years and we still were synced. I like that. "Gabby, how are we going to make it work with Melody," I broke the silence, knowing we'd have to talk about it sooner or later.

Gabriella shrugged, "we'll figure it out; people co-parent all the time."

"And your husband, he's OK with this; us co-parenting?"

She stopped, and her eyes grew distant. She was twisting the ring on her finger as she frowned. Something was on her mind. Did she have a fight with her husband? Was it about telling me the truth? My gaze briefly returned to the picture of Gabriella and the guys as the silence lingered between us. I wish I could read her mind and know was thinking about.

"Fiancé, and he's not an issue," Gabriella assured me.

I nodded, letting out a relieved sigh, "So, how about we split the time equally with Melody?"

Gabriella looked up from the roll-up she was making. Her face scrunched as she studied me. "How do you suggest we do that?"

I shrugged, "Maybe a weekly trade-off, and we can split the holidays evenly. Any major decisions regarding Melody we'll make together," I threw out the only suggestion I could think of.

Gabriella immediately shook her head, not even considering the idea. "No way. Sorry, Troy, we haven't seen or talked to each other in almost three years. We don't exactly know each other anymore, and I know it's my doing. But, I can only agree to include you in decisions involving our daughter and to let you visit anytime you want. Letting anyone I don't know and trust around her is out of the question."

"That isn't fair, Gabriella. Melody is my daughter too; why can she live with you and not me," I argued.

Gabriella stopped cutting the roll-ups and set the knife aside before wiping her hands clean. She folded her arm across her chest and spoke with determination, "Life isn't always fair, Troy. Believe me; I'm reminded of that every day. But I'm doing what's best for our daughter, not us."

"What exactly do you think I'll do to my own daughter," I reasoned, trying to hold my anger and frustration.

She returned to the roll-up, "Nothing you intend to, I'm sure."

"So, if you know I won't let anything happen to her, why can't you let me take Melody home," I argued, not bothering to hide my frustration. "How is limiting Melody's time with my family and me best for her? Unless you never trusted us."

Her face instantly went pale at my words. Her mouth was opened, but no words were coming out. Eventually, she closed her mouth, but the pain remained in her eyes. Breaking eye contact, she hung her head.

I could tell that my words struck a chord with Gabriella. Was I right? Did she really not trust me? Was that why she left? Why she never told me about Melody?

Gabriella spoke, breaking the silence between us. "Despite what you think, this has nothing to do with you or your family. It's honestly about Melody and what's best for her."

There was hurt in her voice, and I regretted what I said. I was upset and wanted to have more time with my daughter, but I didn't want to outright hurt her.

Before either of us could say anything else, we heard one of the children stir through the monitor. Gabriella didn't miss a beat as she headed for the stairs. I was right behind her, but she stopped me.

"Melody's fine," She assured me, "you should stay here. I'll be right back."

I noticed the determination in her eyes and decided not to argue. She took the steps two at a time when I nodded. I kept myself busy with finishing the roll-ups and setting the table.

When she returned, she had the little boy sleeping next to Melody earlier on her hip. He turned from me and buried his face in Gabriella's neck when I tried talking to him.

"So, that's why you said Melody's fine," I noted as Gabriella strapped him into one of the high chairs. "You knew it wasn't Melody crying."

Gabriella nodded as she turned to me, "I know it's not ideal, Troy, but I'm honestly trying here. I really want to make things hopefully even better for Melody. But I need you to trust me when I tell you that visiting often, getting to know her first, and giving us a real chance to know each other again…it's what's best for everyone. Especially Melody."

I could see the truth and honesty in her eyes. She really did want this work, and this was the only way she knew how. I felt a shiver in my spine, realizing I still knew Gabriella so well after all these years. I would've bet odds that I couldn't read like I used to.

I threw in the invisible towel, "OK, we'll do it your way," I agreed, "But I want Melody to meet me, family."

She smiled an angelic smile that made my heart stop. "That's a fair deal; thanks for understanding," She hugged me, and my brain turned to mush the second she was in my arms. Aside from how great it felt to have her in my arms again, even if it was just for a brief hug, I couldn't think about anything. She could've asked me to do anything at the moment, and I would've done it without hesitation.

Halfway through lunch, Melody finally woke up from her nap.

"Hi, Melody," I waved at her with a smile.

Melody scrunched her nose like a cute little bunny. Turning to Gabriella, Melody asked, pointing a chubby finger at me, "Mommy, who dat?"

Gabriella sighed, brushing some hair that covered Melody's face. "Baby, remember how we talked about Daddy playing basketball and not living with us?"

Melody nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, Daddy decided to visit us," Gabriella explained.

Melody turned to me and studied for a long moment. Her lips curved into a shy smile. "Daddy?"

I smiled through the warmth in my heart. Hearing Melody call me Daddy was better than anything I could imagine. "That's right. Can you show Daddy some of your favorite toys here?"

Melody happily took my hand, but things quickly derailed. It wasn't as easy as I envisioned with Melody. It didn't matter that I had experience helping out with Aspen and Skylar. It was still hard figuring out what Melody was asking for. I very quickly realized how helpful it was to have Gabriella around as I tried to figure Melody out. Maybe Gabriella did have a point about having someone she trusted around.

I realized how late it was when my mom texted me asking if I was coming back for dinner, "I better get going," I stated as I stood. "My mom is getting a head count for dinner."

Gabriella nodded, "Yeah, I should get dinner started too."

She walked me to the door with the children trailing behind. I stopped at the door and bent down to Melody's level before reaching my hands out, "Can I have a goodbye hug?"

Melody stared at me for a moment before looking up at Gabriella. When Melody got an OK from Gabriella, she sprung into my arms. I squeezed her tight, never wanting to let go. My little girl had my heart, and I knew it was forever.

"So, we don't really have anything planned for tomorrow," Gabriella informed me as I picked Melody up. "You can come by for another visit if you want. We can hang out like we did today, and your family can get a chance to meet Melody. Oh, but Javy might be here, though."

"Sounds good," I tickled Melody to hear that infectious laughter again, "I'll talk to my family tonight and let you know how many to expect."

She brushed some hair from Melody's face, "Sounds good," She took Melody from me and sat her on her hip, "Can you say bye to Daddy?"

She blew me a kiss, and I was sure my heart had melted from the sweetness. Giving them a final wave goodbye, I left, and Gabriella shut the door behind me.

In my car, I text my family for an emergency meeting on our group chat. I'm sure everyone was curious and worried about me calling a meeting, so I told them I was OK. I was sure everyone was going to be in for a shocker tonight.

Aspen was helping set the table when I entered through the back door. She spotted me immediately and catapulted into my arms before I could shut the door. I picked her up and sat her on my hip before removing my shoes.

"Something smells great," I commented, smelling the fresh aroma of Mom's cooking. I put my shoes away and shut the door behind me. "So, what's for dinner?"

Mom put the cover back on the pot, "Your favorite. Teriyaki chicken, mashed potatoes, rice, and baked season's veggies."

I kissed her cheek, "My mouth is watering already. Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, now go wash up. And Aspen, you need to finish setting the table. You two can help mash the potatoes after. Everyone else should start arriving soon."

Everyone started trickling in as we helped Mom finish up. Dad and Granddad were the last to come home, and dinner was ready to start as soon as they arrived. Mom, Dad, Braydon, and Madyson tried to get me to spill about the meeting during dinner.

I noticed the frustration and worry in Mom's eyes. "Mom, relax. I'm fine."

She frowned, not believing me, "Then why call an emergency family meeting?"

Braydon set his fork down and cleared his throat. "Does this have anything to do with the text you got," He asked, giving me a knowing look.

Dad's eyes darted between us, "What text?"

Mom took her gloves off and gave me her best mom look. "What text is your brother talking about?"

I shuttered at the no-nonsense look on Mom's face. After over twenty years, Mom had certainly perfected the serious mom look. I sighed, knowing no way anyone would enjoy dinner if they were worried about me.

"Two days ago, Gabriella texted me out of the blue in the afternoon asking to meet up, so we could talk."

The silence around the table was chilling. Everyone was waiting for someone else to say something. It felt like years before Braydon spoke.

Braydon took a bite of his chicken, "So, why did Gabriella want to meet with you suddenly?"

I rubbed the back of my neck before letting out a nervous chuckle. "That's the part that's a real shocker; it turns out I have a daughter."

Clink Clank

Everyone dropped their forks on their plates, looking at me like I was crazy. In that moment, they probably thought that I was.

Mom picked her jaw off the floor as she stood. Her shocked expression was now a frown. There was concern in her eyes as she felt my forehead for a fever.

"No fever," Mom noted with a relieved voice. "I'm still calling the physician. Maybe he can recommend a good therapist for your dilution."

I frowned and looked up at her. "Mom, I'm not dilutional. I'm perfectly fine. Gabriella and I really have a daughter."

Gram Gram narrowed her eyes at me. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "OK, let's just say you're right, and your ex does have a daughter. How do you know she's yours?"

Braydon reminded me of the day we went cake tasting with Jason and everyone else. "Remember the game we played with Sharon the day we went cake tasting? Remember what you said about Gabriella?"

My heart sank into my stomach at the thought of Gabriella still being with the guy.

Madyson narrowed her brows into a straight line. "What about Gabriella?"

I shook my head, "nothing," I lied, not wanting to get into it. "I know Melody's my daughter."

I pulled out my phone and showed her the pictures I had taken earlier with Melody. There wasn't a lot, just five or so. Mom's eyes widened as she scanned them before handing Dad my phone. Dad looked just as surprised when he handed my phone to the left.

"Why didn't Gabriella say anything to you," Dad asked, still in disbelief.

I shrugged, "I didn't ask. But Gabriella invited me over for lunch tomorrow, and you're all invited too."

"And you're planning to go."

I nodded with a half-shrug, "Why not; in fact, we should all go. You can get a chance to meet Melody."

Granddad handed me my phone back to me. Everyone started digging into their food again. "If Melody's family, you should bring her along for the week-long trip to Monterey Bay next week. It wouldn't be a family trip without our entire family."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, about that, Gabby won't let me have Melody overnight. Only visits and only if someone she trusts is around."

"That's insane," Madyson barked, not bothering to hide her anger. "She can't do that."

"Those were her terms, and I already agreed to them," I informed them.

Dad furrowed his brow at me in a frown. "Why would you agree to terms like that?"

I shrugged, sipping my drink, "I didn't want to, but when I couldn't tell the difference between Melody's and Truett's cry, I figured Gabriella might have a point."

Gram Gram raised a brow at me, "Truett," She asked.

"A little boy the same as Melody that Gabriella was babysitting," I explained.

Mom sighed, taking her seat again, "Well, now we're going to have to fix that agreement. Tomorrow we'll all go over for lunch and get her to lighten up. I mean, what does she think we'd do to our granddaughter?"

I rolled my eyes, "Mom, I tried, but she wouldn't budge."

Mom shrugged as she dug into the food on her plate, "Then neither will we."

I groaned internally, hoping that tomorrow wouldn't be a disaster. The rest of dinner was a blur. I quickly finished up and headed up to my room.

Madyson came up to check on me before she left. "So, Joel and I are heading out," She poked her head into my room. "We'll see you tomorrow at Gabriella's for lunch tomorrow."

Lost in my thoughts, I barely acknowledged her. She stepped in and took a seat beside me on the bay window. She was quiet for a second before saying anything.

She placed a comforting hand on my knee. "Hey, we'll fix it tomorrow."

I mustered up a small smile, "Thanks, but that's not why I'm feeling so down."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled her leg onto the seat. "I'm all ears if you want to talk about it."

My brows furrowed, and I dropped my gaze to the pillow I was hugging. I sighed, "When I chased after Gabriella after she broke up with me…I saw her in the arms of another guy. It wasn't your regular friendly hug; he was whispering to her and rubbing her back."

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Madyson moved closer and hugged me. "I can't begin to imagine how you must feel."

I leaned my head on her shoulder, "it's weird seeing her again. But seeing her have everything we discussed with that guy is worse. I figured seeing her again wouldn't be easy, but I didn't know it would be this hard."

"It'll be OK," She assured me in a soothing voice. "You just need to give it time. Because as Gram Gram always says, time might not heal everything, but it will get easier. Besides, you did something really hard for yourself, and now you get a daughter out of it."

I smiled a little as my spirit lifted a little. "Thanks."

I wrapped my arm around Madyson in a hug. Now was definitely one of those times that I'm glad I have Madyson as my sister. No matter how hard it was, I'd be OK if I kept positive.