I wasn’t expecting to find a positive pregnancy test in a package addressed to my father. And I certainly wasn’t expecting the romantic note signed by a teasing “darling.” Was my father cheating on my mother? Was he going to have a baby behind our backs?
I always thought my parents had the perfect marriage. They laughed at the same silly jokes, danced in the kitchen when they thought no one was looking, and never missed an opportunity to remind me how much they loved each other.
But now? Now I didn’t really know what to believe anymore.
A couple standing together | Source: Midjourney
A couple standing together | Source: Midjourney
I moved out of my parents’ house at the age of eighteen, eager to pursue my independence in the city.
My apartment was tiny. It had just enough space for me, a sagging couch, and a kitchen that barely fit two people. But it was mine, and I was proud of it.
Between work and school, I barely had time to breathe, let alone visit my parents in the suburbs. We stayed in touch, of course. But I hadn’t seen them in months.
So when my phone rang that afternoon and I saw my dad’s name, I smiled and answered immediately.
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
“Hey, stranger,” I said jokingly.
“Hey, kiddo,” he said warmly. “Guess what? I’m coming into town tomorrow for work.”
“What? No way!” I jumped up from my couch. “This is incredible! Where are you staying?”
“In a downtown hotel. Just for a few nights.”
“Well, I’ll definitely come see you. No discussion.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I hung up, all excited.
My father and I had always been close. He was the one who taught me to drive, who never missed a single one of my school plays, and who makes the best Saturday morning pancakes.
I was looking forward to seeing him.
A young woman standing in her room | Source: Midjourney
A young woman standing in her room | Source: Midjourney
The next afternoon, I arrived at his hotel, skipping into the lobby. When he opened the door, I put my arms around him.
“Dad!” I shouted.
“Hey, kiddo,” he laughed, giving me a tight hug. “Wow, you look great.”
“You too,” I said, pulling back to look at him. He looked the same, but his hair was grayer and longer than the last time I saw him.
And his smile? It hasn’t changed.
We sat in his hotel room, catching up.
A man sitting in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
A man sitting in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
He asked me questions about school, my job, and whether I was eating enough.
During this time, I asked questions about Mom, the house, and our dog, Buster. Everything about our meeting seemed normal. I felt safe and happy.
Until there was a knock at the door.
Dad was in the bathroom when I heard it.
“Can you bring it to me?” he called. “It must be the courier.”
I stood up and opened the door to a delivery man holding a small brown package. I signed and read the label.
A brown package | Source: Midjourney
A brown package | Source: Midjourney
“Do you want me to open it?” I asked.
“Sure, it’s probably a work thing.”
I peeled back the tape, expecting to find some documents or maybe a spare part for something.
Instead, I found something I could never have imagined.
A positive pregnancy test.
It came with a printed note that read: ” Congratulations, darling! Meet me at Café *** at 7 p.m.
My head spun as I stared at the note, then the pregnancy test.
It wasn’t real. It can’t be true.
A young woman reading a note | Source: Midjourney
A young woman reading a note | Source: Midjourney
I looked at the note again, trying to make sense of it all.
My father was having an affair? My devoted and loving father was cheating on my mother? With a pregnant mistress?
Bile rose in my throat. I felt sick.
My hands shook as I put everything back in the box and sealed it.
At that moment, I could only think of one person. My mother. My beloved mother.
A woman in a black dress | Source: Midjourney
A woman in a black dress | Source: Midjourney
I thought she deserved to know what was going on here. But this conversation wasn’t mine to have.
Suddenly, my father came out of the bathroom, pushing me out of my thoughts.
“What was that?” he asks, wiping his hands on a napkin.
I swallowed hard, forcing my face to remain neutral. “Uh… just a package. I haven’t opened it.”
He nodded, taking it from me without thinking.
But I wasn’t going to let that go.
I needed to know what was going on. I had to see who my dad was dating.
A woman looking outside a window | Source: Midjourney
A woman looking outside a window | Source: Midjourney
Later that evening, I put on a jacket and went to the place mentioned in this note. My heart pounded in my chest as I took a seat in a quiet corner.
I looked around the restaurant, trying to see if the woman who had sent a note to my father was already there.
Is that her? I thought, looking at a blonde woman sitting alone. She looked to be in her forties.
A woman sitting in a cafe | Source: Pexels
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