The Escape

Chapter 15

JACE

The entire workday was different than all the others, and it was because of Abby. Since I told her last night about Ryan Oliver wanting to meet her and how he knew about her already, she began to freak out. I did my best to calm her down, but she was a nervous wreck and wondered what things Ryan knew. I didn't know much about him, but I met him, and he seemed like a decent guy. Ryan looked like a better father than Lee, but I could be wrong because looks can be deceiving.

For dinner, we ate at a local Mexican restaurant, and that was where we met Ryan. Abby had dressed professionally in black dress slacks, a solid navy blue shirt, and a black blazer and flats. She looked amazing. She always did, but I knew Abby was dressing that way to show Ryan how professional she was and that she could handle herself and a five-year-old.
Abby had done a fantastic job over the years. Bella was healthy, in school, had friends, and was quite intelligent. Everything seemed good.

Abby and I sat beside each other in a booth in the restaurant's corner. I started eating the salsa and chips, and Abby was fiddling with her hands. "Abby, babe, you've got to stop. It's all going to be okay. I promise." I grabbed Abby's hands and kissed them.

She looked me in the eyes. "You don't know that. You can say it will, but you don't know." A man approached the table, and Abby's attention snapped to him. "Ryan?"

It was Ryan. He nodded and sat across from us. "You must be Abby." Ryan and Abby shook hands. "Sorry to pop up out of the blue like this, but I knew your mother. She called me before she died and told me I had a daughter."

Abby scooted as close to me as possible and held my hand under the table. "Nina called you before she died?" Ryan nodded. "And you didn't know anything about having a child out in the world?"

"No, I didn't. If I did, I would've been there for her. Jace told me everything that's happened, and I can't tell you how sorry I am. I would have treated her as my daughter, and I never would lay a hand on her or you, for that matter."

"We're waiting on the test to come back before we take this any further, but do you want custody of her?"

Ryan shook his head. "No, well- I mean, I do, but I would never take her away from you after all that's happened. I'm a stranger to her. I'll sign away my rights if it turns out I am her biological father; however, I'd like to be a part of her life if you'll let me."

Abby glanced at me, and I nodded. "Okay. Can I ask how old you are?"

"I'm forty-one. The last time I saw Nina was a little over five years ago. She was married and didn't tell me. I was also on drugs back then, and that's how she got into them. I'm clean now and have been ever since I stopped seeing Nina. The drugs changed Nina, and they became more important to her than anything," Ryan said.

"They did. Once she started, it never stopped. I don't know how she even gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The heroin, cocaine, and meth ruined my parent's marriage and changed my entire family life. Nothing was the same after that."

Ryan looked displeased with himself, and he needed to be. If he hadn't gotten Nina on drugs, Abby's situation could've been prevented. "Look, Abby, I'm so sorry for what happened. I didn't intend to wreck your mother's life or marriage. I was a mess back then, and now I'm not. I'm successful with a job and a roof over my head. If you'll let me, I can provide wherever needed."

"Ryan, I can assure you that your help is not needed. I don't mean to sound rude, but I've taken in both Abby and her sister. They're well cared for and don't need any pity money," I said. I was careful not to tell Bella's name in front of him. Ryan could very well be Bella's father, but I wouldn't give her name to someone I barely knew.

"All I want is to meet her. If it doesn't work out, then I'll go on my way. I trust you if you say you don't need my money."

I nodded. "We will contact you once the results come back. Have a good evening." I held Abby's hand, and we slipped out of the booth to the car where Rodney was waiting. "What do you think?" I asked once we had sat down in the car.

Abby shrugged. "He seems legit, but I've learned not to trust first impressions. Ryan looks so much like Bella, though, so it can't be a coincidence, right?"

"I agree with you. They look very similar. He does seem to be off the drugs, too, like he said. Only time will tell if he's honest with us." I kissed Abby's cheek, and the rest of the ride home was silent.

At the end of the week, Abby and I received the test results in the mail about Bella's biological father. Abby was nervous as she held the envelope in her hand. I stood behind her with my arms around her waist as she carefully opened it, careful not to rip any paper. Both of our eyes scanned the page, and Abby let out a breath. I guess she'd been holding her breath the entire time.

"Ryan is Bella's dad," Abby whispered. She placed the paper on the kitchen counter and turned to lean her head onto my chest. "Bella has never once asked about her dad. How am I supposed to tell her this?"

My hands moved up and down Abby's back to soothe her. "I'll be with you if you can't find the words. Let's go now and not waste any more time."

Bella was inside the playroom on the carpet with the American doll she'd received for her birthday. The child was joyful, and I wondered if that would change after this conversation.

"Bella, sweetie, can you stop playing so we can have a conversation?" Abby asked. She sat on a bean bag beside the carpet, and I stood beside her.
Bella glanced up at Abby and stopped playing without a fuss. She crawled closer to Abby and then sat in her lap. "You know we never talk about your daddy because we didn't know who he was, right?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, but you said I do have one. We don't know where."

"Yes, that's right." Abby stroked Bella's hair, and she looked as if she would cry. "Kiddo, we know who your daddy is now. We spoke to him, and his name is Ryan Oliver. He would like to meet you if it's alright with you."

Bella stayed silent, and I knew it was because she was thinking. She was only five, but there was still much information to process. "Is my daddy going to take me away from you?"

Abby shook her head. "No, sweetie, he isn't. He wants to be in your life and be your dad. It's up to you, and I know it's a lot to think about."

"As long as he doesn't hurt me or you. He can't hurt Jace, either. He can be in my life as long as he's nice," Bella said. Abby kissed Bella on the cheek and let her go back to playing.

In the living room, Abby wiped away a few tears. "If he isn't a good father to her and hurts her, I swear I don't know what I will do. I can only protect her so much."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, babe. He will have supervised visits. Both of us will have to be there, or Lauren and Callum. Even my parents can be there. We will not leave Bella alone with him until we know we can trust him."

Abby took a deep breath. "I know. Any chance we can take another vacation?" Abby and I chuckled.

"Don't worry; I've got one planned in the next two months. It will be just us two." I pulled Abby close to me and pressed my lips against hers. "I love you."

Abby's face lit up with a smile. "I love you more."

"I don't think that's possible, babe." I took Abby's hand and spun her around like we were on the dance floor, making her giggle.

"I think it is possible. Without you, none of this would have happened. I should be doing you a favor of some sort."

My fingers tucked Abby's hair behind her ear, and I gently pressed my lips to her cheek. "You already are doing me a favor. You're here, and you're my beautiful girlfriend. What more could I ask for?"