Page 92 of Baby Daddy

CHAPTER 38

Dee

It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Thirty-five little boys and girls, wearing royal blue caps and gowns, were seated on stage in two long rows. Tyson was seated in the middle of the front row, waiting to be called by her teacher, Mrs. Dunne, to come to the podium and receive her diploma. With her last name starting with “W,” she’d be the last one to be called up.

I was seated in the front row of the auditorium. My sister to the right of me, I kept my eyes focused on Ty, taking photos to avoid looking at the empty chair next to me. The one that had been reserved for Drake. I didn’t want to think about him. I wanted this to be a happy day for my daughter and me. Fuck him.

Mrs. Dunne was on the kids whose last names began with “T.” It would be Ty’s turn any minute. Suddenly, a loud pounding sounded on the doors to the auditorium. The pounding continued. In fact, it got louder. More relentless.

“Someone, open up!” I heard a muffled voice shout out.

A parent in the back row rose to open the doors. All eyes, including mine, turned to the drop-dead gorgeous man standing in the back. His eyes darted around the auditorium before landing on me, and then he dashed down an aisle. My heart leapt into my throat. Oh my God!

“Drake,” squealed my daughter as her name was called. “YAY! You’re here!”

“Hi, Mighty!” he shouted back as he took the empty seat next to me, breathless.

With a smile that lit up the room, my little girl bounced up from her seat and ran up to the podium where her teacher shook her hand and handed her the diploma.

“Now, let’s have a big shout-out for all our kindergarten graduates,” Mrs. Dunne thundered. “One, two, three.”

On her count, all the smiling children flipped the gold tassels on their caps to the left and then tossed the caps into the air. As they went flying, applause and cheers erupted. Drake let out a deafening wolf whistle. Our focus on Tyson and her classmates, we still hadn’t made eye contact. My heart, however, was doing somersaults. I couldn’t believe he was here.

Mrs. Dunne signaled for the audience to calm down. “And now, the conclusion of our ceremony. Please join us as Tyson Walker leads us in “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

Tyson skipped up to the mike that was placed in the middle of the stage. At the top of her lungs, she began to sing the song, her classmates and the audience joining in.

I couldn’t clap loud enough…I couldn’t shout “Hooray” loud enough. Nor could Drake. As the song came to an end, the cheering audience gave the children a standing ovation. As they all took a bow, Drake spun me around so I was facing him and then dipped me before smacking my lips with his. If all eyes were on us, I wouldn’t know.

He’d come back for me. Come back for us. I’d never been so happy in my entire life.