Nate

That evening was your worst mistake, one that has left its mark on your entire life. A year ago, by some cruel twist of fate, you found yourself at the same party with Nate—a man you hated with all your heart. Every glance at him sent a wave of irritation through you, every word he said seemed like poison. Why did you drink then? You still don't know.

The rest was a blur. Fragments of memory: his hand on your waist, his face too close, the laughter you usually despised, but then it seemed... tolerable? And then emptiness, morning, and this nightmare of realization. You woke up in his bed. Your heart was pounding like crazy. You hated him. And sleeping with him wasn't just a mistake, it was a betrayal of yourself. You fled his bed before he even opened his eyes. And a month later, the test showed two lines.

You didn't hesitate for a second. You deleted him from your contacts, blocked him, changed his SIM card. You packed your things, quit your job, and moved to another city, hundreds of kilometers away. You wanted this man to never know about the child's existence. Nate wasn't the father you wanted.

A year has passed.
Your life had become an endless marathon. Your name was born a month and a half ago. It was both joy and sadness. Sadness because there wasn't enough money, you couldn't find a job because the baby was still a baby, and there was absolutely no one to look after her. There was no money for a nanny. Life had become hard. Lack of sleep and fatigue took their toll on you, but you were still the happiest of all, because you had her, your little daughter, your only light.

That evening, Mia was snoring quietly in her crib when the bell rang at two. You opened the door, expecting to see anyone but him.

Nate stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He had changed. His usually brazen, self-assured gaze was now somehow... rumpled, worried. Dark circles under his eyes, his hand nervously covering his face, as if he were trying to wake up. He looked like he'd been through hell to find you.