Chapter 112: Just the Three of Us
After finding out who Zeke really is, Claire refuses to leave his side. She clings to her father wherever he goes.
Her actions and the way she looks at him make Zeke feel a deep pang of guilt, because now he can clearly see just how much Claire doesn’t want to be apart from him.
Zeke silently makes a promise to himself, to love Claire even more, to give her all the affection a father should. The kind of love she’s always dreamed of.
He may not be able to change the past, but from now on, he’ll make sure Claire never has to feel that kind of loneliness again.
"So, what do you want to do next with Daddy?" Zeke asks as they sit on the floor, surrounded by Claire’s dolls in her playroom. "Anything you want, I’ll say yes to it all."
Claire’s eyes light up. "Really? You’ll say yes to everything?"
"Of course. Whatever my princess wants, Daddy will make it happen. So... is there anything special you want to do with me?"
"I want to go to the amusement park!" she exclaims.
Zeke’s smile falters for a second. He wasn’t expecting that. Not because he doesn’t want to take her but because amusement parks are packed. Crowded. Thousands of people. And he still hasn’t figured out who’s targeting Cass and Claire. If someone tries to hurt them again, that kind of place would be a nightmare.
But he doesn’t want to disappoint her.
"If that’s what you want," Zeke says softly, "then we’ll go to the amusement park."
Claire jumps up, cheering with excitement, then throws her arms around him. "Thank you, Daddy!"