The relief I felt at finally getting that off my chest was immense. But, now another type of tension and stress took over. What would happen now that he knew? I had been a chicken when he came to pick me up and sent Callie to answer the door. It also gave me a way to get his name. As if dropping the bombshell that he had a daughter wasn’t bad enough, I didn’t want to top it off with the fact that I couldn't remember it.

Several tense moments passed when all David did was stare. I could tell he wasn’t even looking at me though. It was a blank, I’m-trying-to-make-sure-I-heard-you-correctly look. But, I knew the moment it finally sank in, and then he did stare at me. The only thing that kept me calm was that his expression didn’t exude hatred. More like shell-shocked. I even thought I sensed a bit of happiness behind his eyes. Although, that was more than likely wishful thinking on my part.

Softly, I broke the silence, because I don’t think he could. “David, talk to me, please.”

He must have still been a little dazed because he shook his head and brought his attention fully back to me. “A daughter?”

I nodded. “Her name is Mia. She’s thirteen months old now. She looks exactly like you. I swear I would have told you if I knew how to find you,” I hastily added. “Not that I blame you for that.”

I didn’t want him to think it was his fault he didn’t know. I took full responsibility. He would have had every opportunity to know his daughter if he’d wanted to if I hadn’t run. Of course, neither of us had any idea I’d end up pregnant that night.

“Wow. I’m not sure what else to say. No, actually, I do know what to say. Why did you leave?”

Oh, where to begin?

“The night I met you, I’d caught my boyfriend cheating on me. I was so angry and hurt that I wanted to forget for a brief moment. At the bar that night I was able to. I had quite a few drinks. Then, I saw you. You were so handsome and sexy and weren’t immune to my lame attempts at flirting. You made me feel wanted when I hadn’t felt wanted in a long time. I didn’t lie when I said it was not one of my finer moments. I vaguely recall lots of heated kisses, and I barely even remember leaving with you.”

I gulped down my water, attempting to quench my thirst and help with my dry as dust mouth.

“I sobered up enough to know what I was doing not long after we got to the hotel. You said all the right things, and believe it or not, all my troubles disappeared, and you were the only person on earth I wanted to be with. But when I woke the next morning and reality sank in, I got scared. And horrified. But mostly embarrassed. No matter how mind-blowing the sex was, I’d just had a one night stand with a man whose name I couldn’t even remember. I felt shame. I’d never been that girl. Stuart was my first real boyfriend. Sleeping around was not something I did. So, instead of facing you, and those crazy feelings I had when I was with you, I ran.”

Throughout my whole speech, David listened intently, an unreadable expression on his face. I had no idea what he was thinking. After I finished, I sat and waited to see what he would do next. Would he condemn me for my actions or understand why I’d done what I had?

“That explains a lot of things. If I had known you were that drunk I wouldn’t have taken you to a hotel. That’s not the kind of man I am. I’m sorry you were hurting, Sofie. And I feel the same way about that night. It was the most incredible experience I’ve ever had. I felt something for you. In fact, I still do. After I was deployed, you were my saving grace through so many nights. I think I would have gone insane over there if it hadn’t been for you. It didn’t matter that we only had a few hours together. I thought of you constantly. I’m sorry I left you to raise Mia alone.”

Now it was my turn to stare at him. Was he even real? What kind of man is told he has a daughter he never knew and then apologizes because he wasn’t around to help raise her? There was no way he could be this perfect. I searched his face looking for some hidden flaw. I didn’t mean physical flaw; Lord knows he didn’t seem to have one. But a personality flaw. The only thing I sensed from him, though, was complete sincerity. I sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall.

“I thought you would hate me when I told you. I’ve been anxious ever since I saw you yesterday. I didn’t know how I was going to tell you. Thank you for not hating me. And you have nothing to apologize for, David. It’s entirely my fault. I should have been woman enough to face you the next morning. It’s not like I’m the first woman on Earth to have a one-night stand.”

Unexpectedly, David reached out and clasped my hands on top of the table. A spark ignited at his touch. I squirmed in my seat when he began rubbing his thumb across the top of my knuckles. It was an innocent touch, but even still, it turned me on. A throbbing began deep inside me. I tried to ignore it and focus on what he was saying.

“So, what do we do now? We barely know each other. I mean, I don’t even know your last name or where you live. What do you do for a living? Do you even want me to be a part of our daughter’s life? For the record, I desperately want to be a part of it, so I hope that won’t be a point of contention between us.”

“No, no, not at all. I would never keep you away from Mia unless I thought it wasn’t in her best interest. Until I see otherwise, I would like you to be a part of her life. You’re her father.”

“And the rest? Because I’d also like to be a part of your life, Sofie. In what capacity, well, I guess we don’t have to decide that today. But I do want to be there.”

If I was still asleep, I didn’t want to wake up. This was almost too good to be true. This seemingly wonderful man in front of me was saying all the right things. I tried not to be pessimistic about things in life, but I kept waiting for the anvil to drop. Even though I only knew the superficial things, I wanted to know more. Could we build something together? I was willing to find out. Mustering up all my courage, I took the leap.

“Hi, my name is Sofie Chambers. I’m thirty-eight years old and live outside Manchester, NH. I’m a physical therapist at the VA Medical Center, and I’d very much like you to be a part of your daughter’s life. And quite possibly, mine.”

Whew, that wasn't so hard now that it was over. My shoulders slumped in relief at having gotten that over with. I looked over at David expectantly. He had a goofy smile on his face.

“What?”

He only shook his head, his smile still causing a flutter in my belly. “Nothing. You only looked like you were about to be executed. I’m not that scary, am I? Anyway, you’ve regained all the color in your face, so it seems like you’re feeling better now. Now it’s my turn. Hi, Sofie, it’s nice to meet you. My name is David Marshall. I’m also thirty-eight years old. I am a recently retired Navy SEAL who lives in Richmond, Virginia.”

We both burst out laughing.