She made me feel love, real love.
The kind that makes you question if you've ever experienced love.
I felt all of it, all of her.
A night at the bar with the boys became the night that I was intoxicated by her beauty and sly words.
We looked at each other and immediately connected, completely drawn to each other.
Her existence took me by surprise. I was lonely but she made me feel good.
How did this happen so quickly? I would ask myself.
We moved in ready to start a family, this was my future wife.
“Father, meet the woman of my dreams. Isn't she lovely?”
Father looks at me as if he knew something was not right.
I grin at him. “We are expecting a baby girl.”
Something was different, it was the way he looked at her.
My baby was born, and as time progressed I grew more in love with her.
I’ve always wanted a little girl. Her smile, her giggle. She was all me.
Working 3 jobs to maintain my little family.
What more can a man ask for?
“To the one who stirred up my soul, You've made me the happiest man babe.”
I say as I smile while holding my little one, suddenly a chair gets flung at me.
“I hate you!"
From that moment everything was a blur, all of a sudden I am standing in front of a judge fighting for my child's custody.
I am her daddy, I must protect her from her mother. She's not well.
I find myself needing to drop her off at my parent's so that I can go to work.
Barely getting any rest but anything for her, sacrifices needed to be made.
One day, they tell me “you need to take this if you want us to take care of her.”
I look down, a paternity test.
I was obedient, and I confidently took the test.
“I am her father, she has my smile!" I reassure them.
I come to pick her up from work and there my parents are... crying.
My heart drops. My mouth begins to get dry. They hand over some paperwork.
I grab the papers, hands shaking. The results of the test.
I signal to my father to meet me outside, holding back my tears.
A MAN DOESN'T CRY, I must be strong in front of my mother.
We close the door from behind us
I collapse in his arms and let out a painful wail.
I thought she was mine...
Artwork by: Briahna Wenke & Monika Luniak