Perfectly Unexpected - Finished

Chapter Ninteen - A Deal

After we got home from work, concluding a long, silent car ride between Daniel and I, I immediately went to the bedroom and put on comfortable clothes. Dress clothes required by the law firm's dress code were getting more and more uncomfortable.

I went out to the kitchen to take my place at the counter where I would stand every night to talk to Daniel while he made dinner. I had taken to pulling over a barstool instead of standing, as standing made my feet and back sore very quickly.

“I just don't really trust Sam.” I said, breaking our silence.

“I don't blame you. I don't trust him either.” Daniel said.

“Do you think it's a bad idea to allow him in her life?”

“Yes and no.” He answered.

“Elaborate?”

“He doesn't deserve to be in her life, Kassie, or yours. He told you to do away with her and then he left you to handle a responsibility he should have shared. But at the same time, he's not wrong. He could technically take you to court, get it court ordered that you get a DNA test. If the court proves it's his baby, they can legally give him visitation. I think full custody is a stretch, but definitely visitation.” Daniel said.

“Would they actually?” I asked.

“Yes, and I think Sam would do it even if just to spite you. Maybe to prove a point, maybe to impress his wife, ex wife, whatever.”

“So... what should I do?” I asked.

“As much as I hate it, I think you need to give a little here. It's the last thing that I want. To me, she's my daughter. I don't want someone else involved with her even if it is her biological father. But I'm worried if you don't make him feel like you're compromising, he'll push it to court because he can and we'll be sending her off every Wednesday and every other weekend.” He said.

“Yeah. I think you're right. I don't want to give him his last name or put him on the birth certificate though. In theory, those things could be changed later if needed. I don't want to take the chance of him having legal rights to her and exercising them if he wanted to. I thought about telling him that it wasn't his baby, that I was seeing and sleeping with someone else.” I admitted.

“Lying isn't going to do you any good here. Stick to the facts. We can still give her my last name and I can still sign her birth certificate. He won't see the birth certificate and if it ever gets to the point where he's actually active in her life regularly, maybe we can change it. Until then, let's stick to our plan with that piece of it.” He said. He started scraping food out from the pan onto our plates. I was starving.

“Good plan. What do I offer him, then?” I asked.

“He asked to be at the hospital. Start with that.”

“I don't want him in the room.” I protested.

“That's fair. I would tell him he can be at the hospital and check in, but not be in the room. You can tell him he can come in after she's born and meet her. Just not during labor and birth. Then say afterward he can come here and see her when he wants to until she's a little older, then maybe visits at his house briefly and go from there.”

“I like that plan.” I lied.

I didn't like that plan. I hated Sam at this point. He had broken my heart already. I had put all of my trust in him after I had been broken by the first man I ever loved. I had expected that he would be the one person that didn't let me down. Then he left when I needed him most. He left me and his daughter without a second thought. He was cold to me, he left me to struggle and didn't care what happened to the two of us. When I finally recovered and found someone willing to accept my daughter and love me the way I deserved... he decided to step back in and try to ruin it. I hated him for it.

The next morning, I walked nervously into Sam's office. He looked up as if he had been expecting me.

“I discussed it with Daniel and put some thought into it. You can come to the hospital when she's born. I don't want you to be in the room. Labor and birth are painful and vulnerable and I'd really just like the support of Daniel and Jasmine. You can come to the hospital, though. I'll have one of them keep you posted throughout the process and you can come whenever you'd like. You can check in with the nurses. Once she's born and I've had some time with her, you can come in and meet her.” I said.

“I appreciate that, and I understand you preferring the support of your friends. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable while you went through that.” He agreed.

“I plan to breastfeed her, so she won't be able to go away from me for very long at first but you can always come visit her at my house until she's older enough to come to yours sometimes.” I said.

'I'd like to see her every weekend if that's alright with you.” He said.

“Sure.”