“Heather is his daughter,” Vince said quietly. “Gary has known for three weeks.” The phone nearly slipped from my hand. Gary had never mentioned a daughter. Vince explained that Heather had contacted Gary after taking a DNA test, claiming he was her father from a relationship before we met. “He’s terrified you’ll see him differently,” Vince added. “And he couldn’t stand seeing you so happy about family.”

I hung up and walked into the living room, where Gary sat staring at the television without watching it. “We need to talk about Heather,” I said. His face went white. Then the doorbell rang, and when I opened it, a young woman stood on the porch holding a small drawing of her own. Her eyes were exactly Gary’s, and she whispered, “Please, I only want to meet him.”