The oblivious three year old in Nadine's arms was the one to break the silence and answer James' question.
"Yes! Lustre Reid!" she said, emphasizing the Reid part. "My daddy is Auntie Lau's brother!"
Nadine squatted to set Sora down on her feet. "Go to Papa," she whispered to her daughter.
She looked up to see Mike waiting to carry Sora again. Her eyes had a sense of desperation to have someone help her, but she knew that this was going to be the day James found out they have a kid together.
Nadine sighed and stood up, wiping her hands on her pants and tucking her hair behind her ears.
"I am a single parent, but I've had the best support system I could ever ask for. Mike moved in with me to help me when I was pregnant and Lauren, Mika, and Ivan had moved closer to us to help when me or Mike couldn't manage. My parents and Sora's paternal grandparents have always taken her in with open arms. They take turns having her on weekends. My life turned into Full House, just with one daughter instead of three."
Everyone let out a laugh, putting Nadine a little at ease.
"And that's about it," Nadine mumbled and ran off to her seat.
Mrs. Reyes took to the podium and starting going over the rest of the days festivities. Basically, they had a few other tasks before everyone got a break to get ready for the dinner and dance (without the kids present).
Nadine took Sora from Lauren's son, JJ, and tried to run off to the cars when the day festivities were officially over.
James was chasing after her, Mike, Melanie, Ivan, Mika, Lauren, and their other friends running behind him to see the "confrontation of the century."
"Nadine!"
Nadine only picked Sora and started full on running to her car, now coming up into view.
"Nadine!"
"Mommy, why are we running from Tito James?"
Nadine stopped in her tracks, finally noticing that she was sobbing as she put Sora back down to her feet.
"Sora, you know him?"
James caught up and looked down at Nadine crying on her knees with Sora looking back with the most worrisome face a 3-year-old could make.
He thinks the fact that Sora looked like a mini-Nadine and Lauren combined was the reason he grew so fond of the little girl. James had always believed the excuse that the little girl he would sneak ice cream to when his nephew was going on a power trip was just one of the neighbor's kids. But now, looking at Sora, he wished that all the lies they told him were the truth. That the little girl that'd hide behind his legs during the kids' games of hide and seek wasn't his daughter.
"He's always at Mamita's house..."
Nadine laughed at herself. Of course, they had met already. She knew that, but she didn't think they had actually talked and interacted with each other, let alone did she think Sora knew his name.
"Sora..." she pleaded.
She didn't know what she was pleading for, but she was begging the universe for something.
"Nadine..." he breathed out.
Sora looked between her mom and James and then finally up to James when he stopped right next to them.
"You know my mommy?"
Nadine had her head low, little sobs coming out. James couldn't help but cry looking at them, sinking down to his knees and bringing Sora into a hug.
