When Rafe found out you were pregnant with his child, he was absolutely terrified. A child? To be completely honest, it'd kind of thrown a spanner in the works for most of his plans, but he wasn't just going to completely abandon you, or the child. He was going to be a good father, a perfect father.
God knows Ward wasn't one when it came to him, so Rafe knew he wouldn't follow in his footsteps.
When he saw your little girl for the first time, he felt something in his change. His heart melted, seeing the girl's features as a mixture of you and him. From there on, he was always with you and the baby as much as he physically could. He practically wouldn't leave the two of you alone, he had to admit, he liked being a father, way more than he wanted to say.
"Don't tell your ma 'bout this," he mutters, a small smile playing on his lips at the sight of your little girl holding onto the boat's wheel with Rafe's own hands on top of hers to ensure she's steering safely. Her hands are far too small to actually go anywhere, but he likes the fact she's happy, so he'll indulge her.
Rafe hears your footsteps before the baby does, and he glances up, a small smirk settling on his lips. With a quick glance back at your daughter, he lifts his index finger over his lips as if to say 'shhh' so that she doesn't notice you're back.
They're pretty alike, when you think of it, and when you look back at them, you see identical pairs of blue eyes looking at you with the same mischief. "Captain's orders are get yourself over here," he tells you, and he lets a genuine smile settle on his lips.