Page 136 of Over Time Advantage

“I asked him not to, Dad,” Kennedy interrupts. “He wanted to. I wasn’t ready to tell you about us. Be mad at me, not him. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Daylen pulls her close. God, I hate how familiarly he touches her. “It doesn’t matter now,” he says. “No one needs to be mad at anyone. This is a happy situation. I love her. I’m madly in love with her. She and our baby girl are everything to me. They’re my family.”

Family? Daylen and Kennedy are family? Maybe I’m still too drunk to hear him clearly. It can’t be.

I take a few labored breaths, trying to hold myself back from falling to my knees and physically sobbing. “When did you get married? Who walked you down the aisle?” I’m her father. I should be the one walking her down the aisle on her wedding day, even if to a shit-for-brains like Daylen.

They start trying to explain things, but I have no idea what the hell they’re talking about. It’s like the two of them speak their own language. They then suggest going inside and making breakfast to discuss everything.

I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. My life is spinning out of control, and all I can do is hover above and helplessly watch it all go down the drain.

He opens the door, and a giant beast of a dog comes barreling out before gently rubbing himself against Kennedy as if the beast knows her. She’s obviously spent significant time at Daylen’s house. The thought makes my stomach turn. I know I’m going to be sick.

We walk inside and straight to the kitchen, where Daylen opens his fridge and starts pulling out items to make breakfast for everyone. He cooks at the stove while she tends to the wounds on his face.

I stare at them in disbelief as they share tender kisses and touches. They even feed each other fruit as he rambles on about her needing vitamins for the baby.

Everything about their interactions is so intimate and familiar. I stare at them in disbelief as I take it all in. How long has this been going on? A long time judging by their seamless, comfortable movements.

It’s like they don’t even realize I’m here as they care for each other. At some point, I tug on my hair, unable to take it anymore. “What the fuck is happening here?” I bark out. “You two are so domestic. It’s…unsettling.”

The two morons smile as if taking it as a compliment.

With the room spinning, I fall into a chair at his kitchen table and stare at my daughter, who’s still caring for the moron. “He’s a buffoon, Kennedy. He doesn’t take anything or anyone seriously. He treats women like objects.”

She turns and narrows her eyes at me in a way that makes me flinch in fear. “Don’t talk like that about my husband. I’ll make you coffee to sober you up, but if you’re mean to my husband, I’m kicking you out of our house.”

Daylen smiles widely like the goofy imbecile he is.

She raises an unamused eyebrow at him. “Don’t look so damn happy. We don’t have a prenup. Half this shit is mine. And I’ll sue for custody of BJ.” I think that’s the dog.

I can’t help but snort a small laugh. I hope she takes half his fucking money. Money I got for him. Oh god, this is my fault. I fought for Daylen to stay in Philly when his contract expired last year. If I hadn’t, he’d be gone and my baby wouldn’t be pregnant.

A cup of coffee and a weird conversation about how the dog sits at the table with them later, and we are finally all seated with a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. Who knew Humblecut could cook?

Again, they sit there chatting with familiarity. Back and forth like it’s normal for them to have breakfast together.

Throb, throb, throb goes my head. I think I’m sobering up. I wish I wasn’t. I’m still silently praying this is all a mix-up. That she’s not pregnant and married to Daylen. I’m having a nightmare. Please let this be a nightmare.

My mind goes to Fallon. Oh god, I barged into her house in the middle of the night. And Harper. The fearful look on her face will forever haunt me.

Daylen and Kennedy joking around brings me to my official boiling point. I cut off their bantering by gritting out, “Can someone please start talking before my head explodes?”

They then tell me the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard in my life. When they were in Vegas earlier this year, they got trashed one night and got married. They hated each other but still managed to get married. A judge refused them an annulment until they spent the rest of the year putting real effort into the marriage. They claim that, somehow, along the way, they fell in love and now want to potentially stay married. They spare me the dirty details, but she somehow also fell pregnant over the summer and is due in March. In less than five months, I’m going to be a grandfather. A grandfather.

Daylen does what he always does. Cracks childish jokes. He’s not ready to be a damn father.

“Why would I ever be okay with this?” I ask him. “You’ve never taken anything or anyone seriously. Why should I believe you’ll take my daughter seriously? For a decade—a decade—I’ve heard you in the locker room talking about women like they’re objects. Like they’re nothing but punchlines to your immature, ridiculous, sexist jokes.”

He starts to talk, but Kennedy cuts him off, giving me a long, passionate speech about how loving and kind Daylen is. How he selflessly looks after her. How he’s the mature one in their relationship. How loved and protected he makes her feel.

“Haven’t you seen changes in me this year?” she asks me.

I consider her question. She’s right. She has matured a lot this year. And softened.

She continues, “I’m working so damn hard on being a better version of me, and Daylen is a big part of that. You can’t imagine how many times I’ve questioned my ability to be a good mother since I found out about the baby. I didn’t have one. I’m fucking terrified.” She places her finger on his chest. “This guy, this guy right here, he gives me validation every minute of every day. He sees the good in me on the days I can’t find it in myself. He tells me what a great mother he thinks I’ll be when I can’t see it in myself. There is no one, no one, I would want to do this with other than him. I think he’s going to be the most amazing father because he’s such a natural caregiver. No one has ever taken better care of me. No one loves harder than him. Our child and I are so damn lucky to have him.”

She looks at him lovingly before looking back at me with glassy eyes. “For the first time in my life, someone quiets the chaos always churning through my brain. I’m not saying this to hurt you, Dad, but I’ve always felt so damn alone. I’ve never had anyone to lean on. I’ve always had to take care of myself because no one else was there to do it for me. Daylen is the man who says to me, ‘I know you can do it by yourself, but you don’t have to anymore.’ He makes my doctor’s appointments, he makes sure I’m eating well, he cooks for me, he supports me, he makes me feel seen, and,” she looks at him, “he makes me feel like I matter. Daylen Humblecut is the biggest green flag to ever exist, and I was a fool to ever think otherwise.”