I stared at it for several minutes.
I hated the thought of calling him.
But this wasn’t about me.
This was his daughter.
So I pressed the button.
He answered after several rings.
“What?”
No hello.
No question about Chloe.
Just irritation.
I swallowed my pride.
“Chloe needs another breathing treatment. Her medication is more expensive than I expected, and I can’t cover all of it.”
Silence.
I continued before he could hang up.
“You took the savings, Eric. I need you to help with this.”
He sighed.
Not worried.
Not concerned.
Annoyed.
“Claire…”
“She needs her father.”
A short laugh came through the phone.
Then he said, “You chose to have her. She’s your responsibility now. Your problem.”
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
For a second, I genuinely couldn’t speak.
“Eric, she’s your daughter too.”
“Find somebody else to help you.”
His voice became colder.
“Somebody who actually cares.”
Then the call ended.
I sat completely still.
Chloe made a tiny sound from the back seat.
I looked at her through the mirror.
She had no idea that her father had just reduced her existence to a problem he didn’t want.
Something desperate inside me still refused to accept it.
Maybe, I told myself, he could say cruel things over the phone because Chloe wasn’t real to him yet.
Maybe if he actually saw her…
So instead of driving home, I drove to the address where Eric was living with his girlfriend.
I carried Chloe to the door and rang the bell.
Tessa opened it.
She was wearing one of Eric’s shirts.
Her eyes moved from me to the baby carrier.
Then she smiled in a way that made my stomach twist.
“Eric,” she called into the house, “your baby’s mother is here asking for another handout.”
My face burned.
Eric appeared behind her.
Barefoot.
Comfortable.
Annoyed to see me.
“I don’t want anything for myself,” I told him. “Just look at Chloe. Her treatment costs more than I can manage.”
His eyes flicked toward the carrier for barely a second.
Then back to me.
“I’ve moved on, Claire.”
“She is your child.”
