Carol dismissed our outrage with a shrug. “You’re overreacting. It was just a little story. She’ll forget about it.”
“A story?” I snapped. “She’s been terrified for months, afraid to cut her hair because of what you said. How could you think that’s okay?”
Carol rolled her eyes. “I just wanted her to keep her hair long. Girls look better with long hair. She would’ve regretted a short cut later.”
Sara’s face turned red with anger. “So you lied to her? You manipulated her into keeping her hair long by telling her Edward isn’t her father? That’s cruel.”
And then Carol said something that broke the last shred of trust we had in her. “Well, with Sara’s… wild past, who’s to say Edward really is her father?”
Sara’s jaw dropped, and I felt rage surge through me. “Get out,” Sara said firmly, pointing to the door. “You are not welcome here anymore.”
Carol tried to backtrack, but I opened the door. “Leave. Now.”
After she left, Sara collapsed onto the couch, tears streaming down her face. I wrapped an arm around her. “We’ll get through this,” I assured her. “Lily knows the truth. That’s all that matters.”
In the days that followed, we worked hard to reassure Lily. I sat her down, holding her tiny hands in mine. “Lily, I am your daddy—your real daddy. I always have been, and I always will be. Nothing can change that.”
Her teary eyes searched mine. “Really?”
“Really,” I said with a smile. “Always.”
Gradually, Lily began to relax. She even let Sara cut the gum out of her hair, trusting that it would grow back. Afterward, she asked with a mischievous grin, “Daddy, when it grows back, can I dye it pink?”
I laughed and ruffled her hair. “If that’s what you want.”
As for Carol, we decided to go no-contact. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Lily’s happiness and security came first. Slowly, our home returned to its joyful normalcy. Lily asked Sara to braid her hair again, and our laughter filled the house once more.
Through it all, one thing became clear: love isn’t about biology. It’s about being there, day in and day out, as a parent and protector. Lily was, and always would be, my little girl. Nothing could ever change that.