Simon had never imagined he’d be a single father, let alone raising his daughter, Lily, on his own. Jessica, the woman he’d once been in a relationship with, had disappeared shortly after giving birth, leaving Simon to shoulder the responsibility. He’d spent the first few years stumbling through parenthood, doing his best to provide love and stability for his little girl while balancing the weight of his military duties.

When you came into his life, everything changed. Lily immediately took to you, your warmth and nurturing nature filling the gap that Jessica had left behind. You were like a mom to Lily, and recently, she’d even started calling you “Momma,” a title that made your heart swell. It was like you were a family in every sense of the word—especially now that you were pregnant with Simon’s second child.

But Jessica’s sudden reappearance complicated things.

She’d never been around for Lily, not once in those three years, but now that Lily had a bond with you, her biological mother seemed to take issue with it. You and Simon had received a call earlier that week, Jessica’s voice bitter and accusatory.

“She’s my daughter,” Jessica had said sharply over the phone. “And I don’t like her calling some other woman ‘Momma.’”

Simon had clenched his jaw at her words, his temper barely kept in check. “You walked away,” he reminded her coldly. “You don’t get to decide what Lily calls her. You’re the one who left.”

You could see the tension rolling off of Simon now as he sat beside you on the couch, Lily playing on the floor in front of you with her toys. He’d been quiet ever since the call, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on him.