Chapter Twenty-Nine

Elijah

 

I walked up to the large house on the mountainside, anxious about what I was about to do. It was a huge commitment, one I wasn’t sure I was cut out for, but knew I had to try. My hand stretched out and pushed the small button by the door. The loud bell jolted my heart into overdrive and moistened my palms with sweat. I wiped my hands on my jeans just as the front door opened. Kellie stood there, wearing a tropical patterned wrap dress that showed off all of her best features. She was a beautiful woman, a strong woman, and I was thankful she’d given Bailey such a wonderful life. “Elijah, I wasn’t expecting you,” she sounded surprised. It was Friday, and I told her I would have an answer for her by Friday.

“I wanted to come by and talk, if that’s okay,” I replied, my voice a little shaky with anxiety.

“Of course,” she smiled, moving from the doorway and motioning me inside.

The house was massive, and decorated with bright, cheerful colors, nothing like the home I grew up in. “Does this mean you’ve made a decision?” she questioned.

I nodded.

“I’ve decided to stay in Hawaii,” I said quickly.

Kellie’s eyes widened, and her lips curled into a smile. “That’s really great news,” she offered, her voice reaching the nasally high pitch that made my ears ache.

“I’m not sure how you want to do this, but I’m willing to do whatever it is you want,” I assured her.

I had no intentions of busting into Bailey’s life unannounced. Kellie had been a wonderful mother, and I owed her the respect of backing off until she was ready to make the first move. “Bailey and I were getting ready to take a swim; do you want to join us?” she asked, surprising me with her readiness.

“Sure,” I agreed.

Just then, Bailey ran into the room wearing her green floral bikini. Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid, and her arms were equipped with pink floats. “Mommy, I’m ready,” she announced, her tiny voice vibrating my heart.

Her big dark eyes stared up at me, and then that crooked smile appeared on her face. “Hey, I know you,” she blurted.

“I know you, too,” I chuckled.

“Are you going to go swimming with us?” she asked.

“Do you want me to?” I asked, not wanting to invade the child’s space, my child’s space. Oh God, I was a father, and this beautiful little girl was my daughter. Was I ready for this? Would I ever be?

Bailey looked at her mother for approval and then turned back to me with a wide smile. “Yes,” she bounced in her spot, her excitement unable to hide.

“Okay, then, let’s go swimming,” I smiled, letting the little girl take my hand in hers. It was so small, so delicate, but her strength was undeniable as she pulled me to the back door.

Kellie followed behind us, allowing me the time with Bailey, uninterrupted by her. As Bailey led me out the door and to the pool in their backyard, she stopped and looked up at me with a serious glance. “I have to get in the shallow end, so you have to stay with me,” she insisted.

I laughed as my heart felt like it exploded. “Of course,” I agreed.

I slid off my shirt, kicked off my sandals, and stepped into the water until I was waist deep. Bailey didn’t hesitate, jumping in and making a large splash beside me. She giggled as she paddled her way to the edge where she could hang on the side. The shallow end was too deep for her to stand, but she didn’t seem to mind. I watched her swim, do a flip in the water, and then make several more jumps into the pool. “She’ll wear you out,” Kellie called out from her lounge chair by the pool. I smiled. I wasn’t worn out. I loved every second of the attention the little girl poured onto me.

After about an hour, Kellie intervened, telling Bailey she needed to dry off so she could have lunch. It was obvious she was disappointed, but she obeyed her mother without a squeak. “Will you stay for lunch?” she asked, her big eyes staring up hopefully at me.

“Of course,” I smiled.

Kellie wrapped a fluffy towel around the girl, one twice her size, and walked towards the backdoor. “You can help me get lunch ready,” she offered, turning back to me as she opened the door.

I followed her inside, quickly drying myself with one of the large towels. Bailey ran off to her room to change while Kellie started preparing lunch. “Will you get our plates?” she asked, her eyes moving to the tall cabinet behind me.

I followed her instruction as clearly as Bailey, getting out three plates and setting them on the table. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.

I chuckled at her question. It was one I’d kept asking myself over and over. But, spending time with Bailey, hearing her sweet little voice, and looking into her giant eyes, I knew I was ready. “Yes,” I smiled.

“Bailey has been asking me about her father for a few weeks now,” Kellie started. “I think it's best we introduce you to her now,” she added.

My heart skipped a beat at the realness of the situation. “Now?” I stammered.

Kellie nodded. Her expression was stern. She knew what was best for the little girl. She was her mother. I was just a man that was intruding into her life, her father.

Bailey ran into the kitchen, climbing up onto the chair beside me as Kellie slid a turkey sandwich onto each of our plates next to a pile of fresh fruit. “Yummy,” Bailey exclaimed, picking up a strawberry and popping it into her mouth.

I was nervous. My stomach ached as I tried to swallow the first bite of the sandwich Kellie made for me. Bailey was already half-way through hers, eagerly popping pieces of fruit in her mouth, planning what to do next between each bite. “Bailey, remember how you asked about your father?” Kellie blurted out without warning. I swallowed hard as Bailey looked up at her mother with excitement.

“Yes, he’s a seal in the ocean,” she giggled.

“He’s a Navy SEAL, not a seal like the ones that swim in the ocean. He was on a boat,” Kellie rolled her eyes in amusement.

“Yes,” Bailey agreed, shoving another strawberry into her mouth.

“Elijah just got back from the boat. He is a Navy SEAL,” Kellie offered as a hint.

Bailey turned to me, her eyes wide. “You’re a SEAL, like my father?” she asked.

My eyes burnt as I fought back tears. “Yes,” I responded.

“Bailey. Elijah spent years on the boat, and didn’t know what was here on the island,” Kellie continued.

Bailey didn’t take her eyes from mine. “He didn’t know about me?” she asked, her voice softening as she began to put together what she was being told.

“No, he didn’t,” Kellie said softly stroking her daughter's hair, my daughter’s hair. My heart overflowed with emotion, an emotion I’d never felt before. I appreciated the way Kellie was handling this, that she was handling it at all. I wouldn’t have been able to tell this little girl that I was her father or explain where I’d been all her life.

“You’re my father?” Bailey asked, still locked with my eyes.

I nodded as a single tear fell down my cheek. Her little arms opened, and she leaped from her chair into my arms. I swallowed hard as her little arms tightened around my neck. I could feel her warm tears falling onto my neck, and her little body shaking with excitement.

Kellie smiled at me warmly, her eyes saying it all. I was a father.