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𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 2

Legends of the Fall

A man is blamed for fathering an infant left at his doorstep, and it destroys his marriage and his way of living. Kyle Greenbecker had dedicated a year to working on an oil pipeline in Alaska, but at last, he was heading back to his wonderful wife. He and Lisa had been high school sweethearts, and Kyle had never once regretted marrying her when he was just nineteen. Perhaps he was a bit old-school, but Kyle took pride in the fact that Lisa was the only woman he had ever been with. He never desired or needed anyone else. The thought that Lisa would question his loyalty had never even crossed his mind—and with good reason. As soon as his flight touched down, Kyle grabbed his baggage and exited with the other travelers, his eyes sweeping the crowd in search of Lisa’s familiar face. But she wasn’t there. Maybe, Kyle reasoned, she had gotten caught up at work due to an urgent matter. He quickly sent her a message letting her know he was on his way home but received no response. He hailed an Uber, and an hour later, he was walking up to his front porch. The living room lights were on, but Lisa wasn’t inside. Kyle headed toward the kitchen, but as soon as he stepped into the doorway, he froze. Sitting atop the kitchen table was a small bassinet, and from it, a tiny arm wavered aimlessly in the air. He cautiously moved closer. There was a newborn on his kitchen table! The infant gazed at Kyle with the wide-eyed astonishment only babies possess, and Kyle found himself just as dumbfounded. Then, his eyes landed on a folded piece of paper resting beside the bassinet. Picking it up, he unfolded it and found two notes—one written in handwriting he didn’t recognize: “You had your fun, now take responsibility for your baby.” The second note, addressed to him in Lisa’s elegant script, read: “Kyle, yesterday I discovered this baby left on our doorstep with that note attached. I always suspected you were unfaithful during your work trips, but I never held it against you—I had my own share of flings while you were gone. However, expecting me to raise someone else’s child is too much. I’ve filed for a divorce, and I sincerely hope I never have to see you again. “P.S. As for the baby, don’t worry. I made sure to leave only after I saw you walking up the driveway. Enjoy your life, Kyle—I know I will.” Kyle sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands. He couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening. The child wasn’t his—he had never been unfaithful to Lisa, not once! A soft sound made him lift his head. The baby was waving her tiny fingers, and Kyle instinctively reached out his hand. To his surprise, she latched onto his index finger with surprising strength. “Well, little one,” Kyle murmured, “I guess it’s just you and me now… and I have no idea what to do with you.” The baby gurgled in response, but then her tiny face contorted, turning a deep shade of red. “Oh no,” Kyle exclaimed. “What’s happening?” The sudden unpleasant scent quickly answered his question. It was time for a diaper change. But was there even a diaper available? He spotted a large backpack on the floor beside the table, one with numerous compartments he had never seen before. Opening it, he found an assortment of baby supplies, including diapers. He immediately searched online for diaper-changing tutorials and carefully watched as a woman on YouTube demonstrated the process on a lifelike doll. Kyle tried to follow the instructions, but it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Unlike the doll, this baby wiggled her legs and managed to plant her feet right into the mess he was trying to clean. After finally getting her fresh and clean, Kyle realized she was a girl—and he knew absolutely nothing about raising daughters. “Well, kiddo,” he said seriously, “I probably won’t be the best person to give you dating advice, but I can definitely teach you how to ride a bike.” At that moment, Kyle made up his mind—he was going to keep this child. Holding her close, he said, “You need someone, and I suppose I do too. So, what do you say?” Turning again to his online parenting guide, Kyle carefully prepared a bottle and nestled her in his arm to feed her. “You need a name, don’t you?” he mused. “How about… Celeste? Or maybe Lily?” If anyone had told Kyle that he would step into the role of fatherhood so naturally, he would have laughed. Lily had her moments of fussiness, but somehow, things fell into place. Kyle officially registered Lily as his own and arranged for her daycare. To him, her birthday was the day he had found her. But on her second birthday, Kyle’s world came crashing down. A knock sounded at his door. Standing outside was a woman. “I’m here for my baby,” she announced. Kyle stared at her. She was tall, blonde, and rail-thin, with obviously enhanced curves courtesy of plastic surgery. “Your what?” Kyle asked, his voice cold. “My baby,” she repeated impatiently. “I left her here two years ago. Oops! My bad. I was a little high at the time, and my boyfriend lives just down the street. I got mixed up, you know how it is.” “No,” Kyle responded icily. “I don’t know how that is because I would never abandon a child. And if I were you, I’d leave now before I call the authorities.” “Now, wait a second,” the woman snapped. “I figured out my mistake a week later when Burt stopped answering my calls. But now I need that kid.” “You need her?” Kyle asked, anger flaring. “For what exactly?” “Burt just landed a Major League contract,” she said smugly. “That baby’s my ticket to some serious cash!” Kyle slammed the door in her face, but he had a feeling this wasn’t over. A week later, he was served with a court summons. A woman named Cherish Vegas was contesting his adoption of Lily. Suddenly, Kyle was buried in legal paperwork, constantly visited by child welfare officers, and his friends and co-workers were questioned. Cherish was determined to use Lily to secure a fortune. At last, the court date arrived. Nervously, Kyle handed Lily over to a caseworker and stepped inside. Cherish was already there, standing beside a tall man with blue eyes identical to Lily’s—this had to be Burt. Cherish sniffled dramatically, telling the judge how deeply she had missed her baby, and how her reckless college years—long behind her—had led her to leave the child with Kyle. The judge glanced down at the documents. “By ‘leave her with him,’ you mean abandoning her on his doorstep, correct, Miss Vegas?” Cherish flushed. “Well, I’m still her mother! No one can deny that!” she shouted. The judge turned to Burt. “Sir, are you the father?” Burt scratched his head. “Uh… I guess so.” The judge’s sharp gaze fixed on him. “Are you ready and capable of taking responsibility for this child?” Before Burt could answer, Cherish interjected. “Of course, he is! He just signed a multi-million-dollar contract…” “Ah!” the judge exclaimed. “So, that’s the real reason! Tell me, Miss Vegas, what is your daughter’s name?” “Name?” Cherish stammered. “She’ll take her father’s last name, since he’ll be paying child support.” Kyle rose to his feet. “Your honor, may I say something?” “Yes, Mr. Greenbecker,” the judge nodded. “Go ahead.” “My daughter’s name is Lily Greenbecker, and she already has her father’s last name—mine. I have loved her since the day she came into my life, and she loves me.” At that moment, Lily saw Kyle and reached for him. “Daddy!” she squealed. “Well,” the judge said, smiling, “I believe the decision has been made.” That night, Kyle and Lily celebrated by catching fireflies. “Stars!” she giggled. To Kyle, she was the brightest light of all.

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