Page 170 of Pucking Daddy

Her eyes search mine. “She tried to—she tried to make Lily choose.”

My jaw tightens again.

“Yeah,” I mutter. “That sounds like her.”

The words hang there for a second. Heavy. Ugly.

Then something shifts in my chest—sharp and immediate, cutting straight through the anger.

“Zara, I don’t know how to thank you.” My voice comes out rough. Hoarse.

Her expression shifts instantly, something almost startled flashing across her face. “Jax—”

“I mean it,” I cut in, the words dragging out of me. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

She shakes her head, like I’m making it bigger than it is. “Anyone would have done that.”

“No,” I say quietly. “There’s only one person who could have been there for Lily like that. There’s only one Zara.”

Zara swallows.

Without thinking, I pull her back into me again.

“Thank you,” I murmur against her hair.

She exhales softly, her arms sliding around me.

“You really don’t have to thank me,” she says.

“I do.”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s warmth in it.

“Come on,” she says softly after a second. “She’s in the living room, listening to a podcast.”

I don’t wait. I move past Zara, down the hallway.

Lily is sitting on the couch, small and quiet, her legs tucked under her, her backpack still on the floor beside her.

“Hey, bug,” I say, keeping my voice light as I step closer, like this is any normal afternoon.

Her head snaps up. “Dad.”

She’s off the couch immediately, running toward me.

I catch her easily, lifting her into my arms, holding her tight. She clings to me.

“Hey,” I murmur, pressing a quick kiss to her hair. “What’s going on, huh?”

She shrugs against me, a little uncertain. “Mommy came to school. I didn’t know what to do.”

I nod like that makes perfect sense. “Yeah?”

“She said we could go,” Lily says, pulling back to look at me. “She said it was a surprise.”

“I heard,” I say, keeping my tone calm, almost conversational. “That must’ve been confusing.”

She nods.