Uncomplicated 2.7: The real kicker

I never saw myself as a father, and I certainly never saw myself as a single father. Also, I used to think I was lame for still living with my parents, but I couldn't really afford to live on my own. Plus, now that I have Bonnie, my parents' help is greatly appreciated.

Bonnie hardly notices the loss of her mother. She's a very content little baby with the three of us taking care of her every need. I dread the day when I have to explain where her mother is.

Sometimes, my phone will ring, and I'll wonder if it's Addie. It never is.

I never thought I'd miss her this badly!
"Oh, good job, Bonnie. Look at you holding your bottle like a big girl," I croon to the little one in my arms. She looks up at me as if to say, 'Duh, Daddy. What else did you expect?' I laugh down at her.
Addie's a fool for leaving this behind.

I don't get as much writing done as I used to, and I catch little naps here and there as Bonnie lets me.

Now that she's completed her lifetime want, Mom spends some of her free time at the easel, and she had Bonnie and me pose for a painting.
Weeks turn into months, and I never hear from Addie. She doesn't even call to check up on her daughter.

Donovan Steele insists that Bonnie is his, and he takes me to court to try and take her from me. With a heavy heart and not eager to get there, I take out the rarely-used stroller Addie and I bought and push Bonnie on the sidewalk all the way.

Bonnie acts happily oblivious to my inner heartache. I have a strong suspicion that Donovan is her biological father. I'm not even her step-father for Pete's sake. What chance do I have of keeping her?

I packed a diaper bag full of nothing but some clothes for her and blankets. Another one I filled with diapers, formula, baby wipes, etc that Donovan will immediately need should he win custody. I don't want Bonnie to have to suffer for his inability to parent.

A paternity test was done to determine which of us is her father, and my heart sinks when I learn she's Donovan's.
It's not fair! I've been the one to be there for Addie during her pregnancy. I've been the one doing the middle-of-the-night feedings. I'm the one Addie left her with! As far as I'm concerned, she is my daughter more than some dam- paternity test can show.
I plead my case before the judge, a woman in her sixties, and she awards me custody! Me!
Donovan, of course, is furious, and the woman lists all my earlier thoughts as her reasons for doing so, almost like she read my mind. Well, I did point them out to her, but she said to Donovan that she'd thought the same things herself.
The real kicker is when she produces a signed note from Addie saying that she wanted Bonnie to stay with me. I'm shocked! How did that happen? While everything finishes up, I ask the judge if I could view the paper, and she hands it to me, telling me I can keep it.

I can't describe my joy when I walk back into the house with my daughter in my arms. I plan on putting the note the judge gave me in a very safe place. I'm sure I haven't heard the last from Donovan in this matter.

Wait a minute... is that Pat? He went missing and has suddenly shown up now?

My life settles back into a happy routine. Bonnie sleeps through the night now, but I find I can't write all night like I used to. So, I try to get in little snatches of time to write while my parents play with her.
My dad still works at the hospital. I'm guessing he'll die before even thinking about retiring, the workaholic that he is. Mom is getting up in years, and she gets tired often.
They again start bugging me about getting married. After my debacle with Addie, I don't know if I trust my heart with anyone. While she was still here, I'd not known how much I'd loved Addie...

...but now I feel her loss like a knife in my back.
I try not to let anyone see. The last thing I want is pity, so I hide out in the bathroom a lot.

As the months go by, Mom and Dad frequently invite "guests" over for dinner. Did they think I wouldn't notice that they're all young, single women? I've half a mind to move out just to avoid their matchmaking schemes, but I've gotten used to their help with Bonnie.

"Daddy doesn't need a girlfriend, does he?" I ask Bonnie in my silly daddy voice. She giggles hysterically when I nibble on her stomach. "You like having Daddy all to yourself, don't you?"

Who needs a therapist when you have an infant?

Mom tells me I need to get out and get some exercise. I don't think this is quite what she had in mind. She probably hoped I'd go out and meet someone on my own by either jogging down the sidewalk or hitting the gym.
Not happening, Mom.

I do, however, start wondering what I'm going to do about the sleeping arrangements in this house. Bonnie's birthday is coming up real soon. It'll be fine for her to sleep in here while she's still a toddler, but it will get awkward at best when she ages to child.
I don't see the point of this double bed anymore other than I like the bigger space, but it's not like I'm ever going to share this bed again.

Bonnie ages up, and she looks just like Donovan. I can't decide how I feel about her looking like my enemy. I wonder if I'd feel more or less disquiet when looking at her if she looked like Addie instead.
In the end, it doesn't matter. She'll always be my little girl.

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I'm still having troubles with Pat, the I.F. He suddenly showed back up in Nick's inventory, and I put him on the ground. I'd hoped to use the I.F. potion that Tim had made, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I'm hoping that when Bonnie turns child that she'll be able to do it or that Pat will 'come to life' since there'll be a child in the house again. Right now, the doll is acting exactly like a gnome... and then I get a notification from overwatch that it reset a stuck gnome. I wonder if that was Pat. Can an I.F. turn gnome? Or is that not actually Pat and Nick somehow attained another gnome?