"Nick!" a man's voice came from behind him in the hotel lobby. "Nick, slow down!"
He turned around. "Lyle...uh, what are you doing here?"
"Listen, I was just wondering if Autumn told you why I'm here."
"She told me the story."
"Let's just hope it's the true one." Nick looked at him, confused. "You know how she
likes to make up stories." Nick just shook his head in disgrace. "I'm kidding, don't worry. I won't
let her get away with any more shit. She's, well she was anyway, a horrible person. She just left
me and Danica with nothing. She took everything. Every penny I had earned was gone. She
took it so she could go study at Ulrich."
"She said she got a scholarship. Left with nothing but the clothes on her back and
change on the dash."
"That girl! I went through hell because of her. She took everything, she's fucking with
your head again. Don't believe a fucking word that comes out of her mouth."
"Believe me, I don't underestimate her anymore."
"So true..listen, I gotta go, but could you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"Give this to Margret..I mean, Autumn, when you go back to her room. Please." He
handed him an evelope that could barely shut because it had so much stuff in it.
"No problem."
"Thanks man, talk to ya later maybe?"
"Yeah, maybe." Lyle turned and left the hotel. Nick stood there a while and left the hotel
also. He walked to the waterfront park across the busy street. He sat down in an empty bench
and stared at the Pacific Ocean. He missed home. He wanted to get away, away from
everything. Away from the media, away from the lies, and most of all, away from Autumn. How
could she not tell him she had a daughter!? He took out the envelope in his coat pocket. It
wasnt licked shut so he opened it up. Lyle never said he couldn't see what was in it.
He pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. He carefully unfolded it. He read:
Dear Margret,
I don't know who you think you are anymore, but I know that you are our child's
mother. Yesterday Danica asked me why her mommy didn't ever see her. She asked me if her
mother loved her. And you know what? I didn't know the answer! How sad is that!? I can't tell
my own daughter that her mommy loves her because, honestly, I don't think she does. She
never wrote, she never called, she never did a single thing to reach her own flesh and blood.
Maybe this will help you decide if you love your 4-year-old daughter.
-Lyle
Nick felt a single tear roll down his cheek. It wasn't even his kid! He just wanted to know
how heartless Autumn had to be to not even mention her own kin to her so-called lover. He
pulled out the rest of the contents of the envelope. It was pictures of Danica. He looked on the
back, 3 mo. old, 6 mo. old, 1 yr. old, 2 yrs., 3, 4, Danica's 1st day of school. How could a parent
miss this moments and live with themseves? The child was beautiful thought. She had her
mothers blue eyes and jaw bone. In every picture she was smiling. Nick knew he wouldn't be
able to smile if he wouldve known what Autumn did.
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