12 Years After Abandoning Us, My Ex-Husband Called Demanding to Speak to Our Daughter—His Reason Left Me Speechless

You can only imagine how startling it was to receive a call from his old number while I was just going about my business. It was his voice that I instantly recognized, almost thinking it was an error.“Emily? It’s me! See my daughter, please. I have alarming information.” He squinted into the receiver. “Wh-what?” I stammered, but I got up swiftly. “George! Twelve years have passed! Do you believe you can only see Jennie? “Hello, Emily! I’m out of time to argue this. I must see my girlfriend. I’m ill. He clarified, “It’s terminal,” even getting emotional in his speech.I had not anticipated this at all. My initial reaction was one of skepticism. “Are you lying to me?” I posed a serious, but not quite angry, question. “Nah! Em, how can you possibly think that of me? Offended, George enquired.“You abandoned me,” I shot back, my voice freezing. “Left me with no words, no way to get in touch with you. However, you also abandoned her!

I’m not sure how to feel about you! Since you were obviously not the man I had assumed to be my husband!”He cried out, “Please!” and I noticed sniffles. I’m not asking for much, so please. All I want to do is meet her, make my peace, and move on.” I shut my eyes and forced myself to stop screaming. I had been harboring bitterness for so long, but would it really help to let it all out at that point? If I just let my kid see the father she’s always wanted to see, would that be better for her?I sighed and opened my eyes, staring up at the ceiling as though pleading with God for assistance. “Fine, I’ll let you meet her,” I replied. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything, okay?” I gave Jennie’s cheek a pat. We were in my car, right outside our neighborhood coffee shop. That was where we had agreed she would meet George. Though I knew it would be impossible to face him and not scream, cry, or hit him for leaving us, I still wanted to go inside. I would thus wait for Jennie here while allowing her to enter alone. Jennie said, “I’ll be fine, Mom,” but I could see she was unsure of herself. Though I knew she was also wondering why he left us and why he had never wanted to be her father, she was delighted to see her dad for the first time. Nevertheless, my daughter was far stronger than me at the age of twelve.