19!Come dance, baby!

ZARA

“Thank you for coming, Maria. I'm glad you get to meet Vic,” I said as we both walked towards the kitchen counter.

“Yeah, she seems nice, and she's a darling with Hazel,” She said with a smile. “Besides I didn't want to stay waiting for Daniel,” she said, and rolled her eyes.

“What was that?” I asked her.

“He is out with Matthew, you know how they can be sometimes,” she said, and we both laughed.

“Yeah, I remember,” I said, and she chuckled. 

“Zara,” I heard my name. I looked up to see Vic with Hazel. 

“Is anything wrong?” I asked, looking at both Hazel, and Vic.

“She has a question she wants to ask you,” Vic said, touched my shoulder slightly, and walked towards Maria.

“What's going on?” I asked as I squatted, facing her.

“Who is my Daddy, Mama?” She asked, and my heart dropped.

I froze.

Hazel looked up at me with her big brown eyes—so full of trust, so full of hope—and I had no idea what to say. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.

I took a deep breath and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Why do you ask that, baby?”

She shrugged, playing with the edge of her dress. “At school, everyone has a daddy. But I don’t. I want to know who mine is.”

I blinked fast, trying to push back the sting in my eyes.

Behind me, I felt Maria watching. I could sense Vic too, quiet in the corner with her arms crossed. No one said a word. It was just me and Hazel in that moment.

I forced a smile. “Hazel, you have so many people who love you. Mama loves you so, so much.”

She nodded slowly, but her eyes didn’t leave mine. “But do I have a daddy?”

I opened my mouth again, and this time, the words came out like a whisper. “Yes, you do.”

Her face lit up a little. “What’s his name?”

That question hit harder than the first. I looked down, then met her eyes again. “His name is Matthew.”

Hazel tilted her head. “Do I know him?”

I hesitated, then said softly, “You probably seen him once or twice. He’s… someone I knew a long time ago.”

She nodded like she understood, even if she didn’t. “Can I meet him?”

My breath caught.

Before I could answer, Maria stepped in gently. “Hey, Hazel, why don’t you come help me get the cookies out of the oven? I might burn them without my assistant.”

Hazel smiled and ran off with her, but not before turning back to look at me. “Okay, Mama. But I still want to know more.”

I nodded, even though my heart felt like it was in pieces.

When they were gone, Vic came over and sat beside me. “You okay?”

“No,” I whispered. “I’m not.”

“She deserves the truth,” Vic said gently.

“I know,” I said. “But I’m scared.”

Vic reached out and squeezed my hand. “You’re strong, Zara. You’ve always been strong. But you’re not alone anymore. You’ve got people—me, Maria.”

I gave a weak smile. “Even Matthew?”

“That’s up to you,” she said. “But Hazel is asking questions now. Sooner or later, you’ll have to give her answers.”

I nodded. I knew she was right. I had been avoiding this moment for so long. But Hazel wasn’t a baby anymore. She was growing. She was thinking. And most of all—she was hurting for something I had been too afraid to face.

Later that night, after everyone had gone home and Hazel was asleep, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the photo frame I kept hidden in my drawer.

It was a picture from years ago—me, Matthew, and Daniel, all smiles. Back when things were simple. Before hearts were broken.

I traced my finger over Matthew’s face.

He didn’t know. He never knew.

And I had told myself over and over that it was for the best. That Hazel didn’t need him. That I could be enough.

But today… today she looked at me like she was missing a piece of herself.

And that broke me.

I heard a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” I said quietly.

Maria peeked her head in. “Can’t sleep either?”

I shook my head. She stepped in and closed the door behind her.

“She’s asking the hard questions now,” I said. “And I don’t know how to answer them without destroying everything.”

Maria sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “You don’t have to destroy anything. You just have to tell the truth.”

I looked at her. “But what if the truth brings him back into our lives?”

Maria didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she spoke softly, “Maybe it’s time.”

My chest tightened. “What if he doesn’t want her?”

“Zara,” Maria said gently, “Matthew isn’t perfect. None of us are. But Hazel is his daughter. He has the right to know. And she deserves to know her father.”

I buried my face in my hands. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Maria reached into her purse and pulled out a small card. She handed it to me. “Daniel gave me this earlier. Said Matthew’s been asking questions too.”

I stared at the number printed on it.

“Think about it,” Maria said, standing up. “But don’t wait too long.”

She left the room, and I sat there, holding the card like it weighed a thousand pounds.

I didn’t know if I was ready to talk to Matthew.

But Hazel was.

She was ready to meet her father.

And maybe… maybe I owed her that much.

I looked at the card again.

And then, with shaky hands, I reached for my phone. It was Matthew's number, despite us working together we haven't had the pleasure of exchanging contacts.

My fingers trembled as I dialed each number, eventually I placed my phone by my ears, and it began to ring.

After a while, there was a break in the ringing tone and a huge noise filled my ears.

“Hello, who's this I can't hear you,” he screamed into his phone.

“Come dance, baby. Come dance,” I heard a female voice in the background along with some club music.

I ended the call instantly.