Her Dad's Best Friend

Daddy's Intuition

The morning sun filtered through the blinds, casting a warm glow across my room. It was a deceptive calm, considering the storm that had been brewing inside me for weeks. My hands rested protectively over my stomach, a habit I hadn't even realized I'd picked up. The truth was out there now, at least with Jordan, but I hadn't even begun to prepare for what was coming next: my dad.

I was staying at my parents' house for the weekend, something I hadn't done in a while, and I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. The secret was eating away at me, gnawing at my insides every time my dad glanced in my direction. He was my hero, the guy who raised me, the man who would do anything to protect me. Telling him about the pregnancy would shatter the illusion he had of me—the one where I was still his little girl, the one who hadn't messed up her life in a big, life-altering way.

I rolled over in bed, staring at my phone. The text from Jordan was still there, unread. He'd been checking in constantly, asking how I was doing, but I didn't have the energy to respond. I needed to face one battle at a time.

There was a knock on the door, and my heart leapt into my throat.

"Hailey? Can I come in?" My dad's voice was soft, but there was something in it that made my stomach twist.

"Yeah, sure," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady as I sat up, pulling the covers over my legs.

The door creaked open, and my dad stepped inside, a concerned look on his face. He wasn't dressed for work, which meant he had the whole day free to spend at home—perfect timing for an uncomfortable conversation.

He sat down at the edge of my bed, his eyes scanning my face with a worry I hadn't seen in a long time. "You've been quiet lately," he said, his voice gentle. "Is everything okay?"

I swallowed hard, trying to think of a response that wouldn't set off alarm bells. "Yeah, I'm just... tired. A lot on my mind."

Dad wasn't convinced. He had that look, the one he used to give me when I came home late as a teenager, trying to sneak in without waking him up. He'd always know something was up, even before I said a word.

"You haven't been yourself," he continued, his voice soft but firm. "Your mom's worried, and honestly, so am I."

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. My heart pounded in my chest, the words swirling around in my head like a tornado. How was I supposed to tell him? How was I supposed to explain that his daughter—the one who was supposed to have her life together—was pregnant and by his best friend?

Dad shifted closer, his hand resting on my knee. "Hailey, you know you can talk to me, right? About anything. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, and before I could stop them, they started falling, hot and fast. "Dad, I..."

His face changed in an instant, his expression going from concern to alarm as he reached for me, pulling me into a hug. "Hey, hey... what's wrong? What happened?"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. The weight of the secret, the fear, the uncertainty—it all came tumbling out in a shaky breath. "Dad... I'm pregnant."

The silence that followed was deafening. His arms stiffened around me for a moment, and I could feel his breathing change, the shock hitting him like a physical blow. He slowly pulled back, his hands resting on my shoulders as he searched my face for some kind of explanation.

"Pregnant?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. "Yeah. I... I found out a couple of weeks ago. I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't know how to tell you."

His brow furrowed, and for a moment, he just sat there, staring at me as if trying to process what I had just said. He blinked a few times, then stood up, pacing the room like he didn't know what to do with himself. "Hailey... how did this happen? I mean, I know 'how' it happens, but..."

"I don't know," I said, my voice breaking. "It wasn't planned, obviously. I wasn't trying to... it just happened."

He ran a hand through his hair, looking at me with a mixture of confusion, disappointment, and concern. "Who's the father?" he asked finally, his voice tight.

I froze. That was the question I had dreaded the most. I couldn't tell him it was Jordan. There was no way he could know. Not now. Not yet.

"It's... it's complicated," I said, avoiding his gaze.

Dad's face darkened slightly, his jaw clenching. "Complicated? Hailey, this isn't the kind of thing that can be complicated. You need to tell me who he is. I need to know if this guy is going to be in your life, in your child's life."

"I... I'm not ready to talk about that yet," I said quickly, my heart pounding in my chest. "I just... I need time to figure things out."

He shook his head, frustration evident in his expression, but he didn't push the issue. "Hailey... you're my daughter. I just want to protect you. This is a big deal, and I don't want you to feel like you're handling it on your own."

"I know, Dad," I whispered, tears still streaming down my face. "I'm scared I'm fucking scared."

He sighed, sitting back down on the bed, pulling me into another hug. "I know, You're not alone, Hailey. Whatever happens, we'll get through this together."

I clung to him, feeling both relief and guilt flood my chest. Relief because I didn't have to hide the pregnancy anymore. Guilt because I was still keeping the most important part of the truth from him.

We sat there in silence for a long time, just holding on to each other. Dad's hand rubbed my back in soothing circles, and for a moment, I felt like I was that little girl again, the one who could run to him for anything and everything. But I wasn't that little girl anymore. I was a grown woman with a life-altering secret still hanging over me.

"I'm going to help you," Dad said after a while, his voice strong and determined. "We'll figure this out. You don't have to worry about a thing."

I nodded, my head resting on his shoulder. "Thanks, Dad. I don't know what I'd do without you."

As we sat there, I couldn't help but think about Jordan. How long could I keep him a secret? How long until the truth came out? My dad had accepted the news of the pregnancy, but I knew that telling him about Jordan would be a whole different storm for a different day.

For now, though, I had bought myself a little more time. Time to figure out how to navigate the mess I had created. Time to come to terms with everything that was changing around me.

But one thing was certain—I couldn't keep running from the truth forever.