Page 45 of Righteous Enforcer
Eva opens the door, looking softer than yesterday.
Sleep has brought color back to her cheeks.
“We need to talk,” I say, pushing past her into the room. I see that breakfast trays were brought up and it appears they’ve both eaten.
Mirabella sits perched in the window seat, her small face turned toward the garden where birds flit between branches.
For a moment I watch her, in awe of how her eyes light up as she looks upon the world.
I never see wonder in the world anymore, but I’m feeling it now.
"Has she said anything?" I ask Eva quietly. "About my being her father?"
She shakes her head. “No, nothing."
A sense of rejection tightens my chest.
Maybe she doesn’t want me as a father.
Who knows what Eva has told her about me.
“But she was mostly asleep and can’t always keep up on adult conversations,” she says as if she read my mind.
I watch my daughter, her small fingers pressing against the window glass when a blue jay lands on a nearby branch.
"We need to explain it to her now," I say. "I don't want to waste another day."
Eva seems to consider arguing but then nods. "Okay.”
I take a deep breath, preparing for the most important introduction of my life.
Eva calls Mirabella over, patting the bed for her to sit.
My heart is jack hammering in my chest, but this time it doesn’t have to do with Eva.
It has to do with Mirabella and whether she’ll accept me as her father.
"Remember how I told you stories about your daddy? How he was very brave and strong?" Eva starts, surprising me by her depiction of me.
Mirabella nods. “And handsome.”
Eva glances at me, her cheeks flushing pink. “Yes, and handsome. Well, Adriano… he’s your daddy.”
Mirabella studies him.
Even from a three-year-old, the scrutiny is unnerving.
I clear my throat. "Hello, Mirabella."
Her face scrunches up. "You're very big."
"I am," I manage, unsure what else to say. Is that good or bad?
"Mommy said you were far away."
My throat tightens. "I was. But I didn't know about you. If I had…" I look at Eva, unable to hide my resentment. "If I had known, I would never have been far away."
Mirabella tilts her head, her continued scrutiny making me sweat.
