She sees other kids with their fathers and asks me why her daddy didn’t want her, what’s wrong with her that made him leave. I tell her nothing is wrong with her. But I don’t know if she believes it. ”
“That’s heartbreaking.
”
“So when Father’s Day started approaching and kids at school were making cards, Sophie started asking if maybe she could have a daddy just for a day. Just to know what it feels like to have someone call her sweetheart and hold her hand. ”
Richard looked over at Sophie, now arranging Mr. Buttons in different poses.
“So she saw me in a suit and decided I looked like someone’s father. ”
“Something like that. ”
They sat in silence. “Elizabeth,” Richard said carefully, “what if I did?
What if I was Sophie’s daddy for the day? Just for tomorrow—Father’s Day. I could take you both somewhere fun. The zoo, the children’s museum.
Give her that experience. ”
Elizabeth stared at him. “Richard, you can’t be serious. ”
“Why not?
I have no plans. I was going to spend it alone in my house reviewing contracts. Instead I could spend it with a little girl who asked me very politely to be her father for a day. ”
“You’re a stranger to her.
You’re Richard Morrison, CEO, billionaire. You can’t just play pretend family with random people. ”
“You’re not random people. You’re someone I cared about very much once.
Someone I let down. And Sophie is an innocent child who deserves one day where she feels special. ”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. “If you do this, if you give her this day and then disappear again, it will break her heart.
She’ll have exactly what she wanted and then it’ll be taken away. ”
“Who says I’ll disappear? ”
“What else would you do? Become a regular presence in her life?
That’s not realistic. ”
“Maybe you could be part of my life,” Richard said. Elizabeth shook her head. “You can’t waltz back in after twenty-five years and offer friendship or charity or some second chance.
”
“Maybe that’s exactly what I’m doing. Elizabeth, I made a choice twenty-five years ago. I chose duty over love. Patricia needed me, and I was there.
But I’ve spent twenty-five years wondering about the road not taken. Wondering about you. Wondering what might have been. ”
“What might have been is gone.
”
“I know. But time moves forward. And right now, there’s a little girl over there who needs something I can give her. Not money—attention.
Presence. Let me give her tomorrow. Then if you want me to walk away, I will. ”
Elizabeth looked torn.
She studied her hands, then looked at Sophie. “If you do this,” she said slowly, “you have to promise you’ll be kind. Patient. You won’t make her feel like an obligation.
And you have to promise that if this is just a one-time thing, you’ll be honest. You won’t let her believe it’s permanent if it’s not. ”
“I understand. I promise not to make promises I can’t keep.
But Elizabeth—I can’t promise this is just one time. I honestly don’t know what tomorrow will lead to. I’m willing to find out. Are you?
”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. Then she stood. “Sophie, come here, please. ”
Sophie ran over, Mr.
Buttons bouncing. “Sophie,” Elizabeth said, “Mr. Morrison has invited us to spend Father’s Day with him tomorrow. Would you like that?
”
Sophie’s face lit up. She looked at Richard with those hopeful eyes. “Does that mean you’ll be my daddy tomorrow? ”
Richard felt his throat tighten.
He knelt down again. “Yes, Sophie. Just for tomorrow. But I’ll be the best daddy I can be for that one day.
”
Sophie threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tight. Mr. Buttons pressed against his chest. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Richard looked up at Elizabeth over Sophie’s shoulder. She was crying silently. But she was also smiling. He held the little girl and felt something he hadn’t felt in eight years.
Hope.