Putting on my sunglass and baseball cap before climbing out of my car. I'm so nervous it's unreal and I'm a pro football player, I'm used to being under pressure. But preparing to meet my daughter for the first time, is a whole other playing field and it's scary even for me to say.

What if I say the wrong thing?

Has Ella even told her, that I'm her father?

What if she doesn't like me?

What do you even talk to kids about?

I really have no idea what the hell I'm doing...I don't want to mess this up.

I don't have any younger siblings, I don't have any nieces or nephews yet, so I have no experience with kids whatsoever. And on top of all that, what if Ella doesn't think I'm good enough to be Remi's dad, I mean I haven't been the best kind of guy these last few years, and I don't want that to be a factor in this.

I mean she's her mom, she's been there from day one, she knows everything about Remi and how to be a mom to her. What if Ella thinks I can't be that for our daughter?

Pulling out of my thoughts and began walking over to the picnic area, where Ella said she and Remi would be.

Taking a deep manly breath and let my eyes search around for them, looking from face to face but still no Ella. Did she change her mind about me meeting Remi?

Shaking my head and took one more look around, fearing the worst until my eyes finally see her. I see Remi first holding Ella's hand, she's laughing with her mom practically skipping as they walk, I smile at that.

She's beautiful and she's part of me, moving my eyes to Ella who was looking down at our daughter with that breath-taking smile that's she always had.

And as I stand here, just watching her and our little girl there's a flutter in my heart of pure love. It's feeling that I never want to go away because as I see them, I realize that we're a family, in our own way even if I haven't met my daughter yet, or even if Ella and I are no longer together, all of that doesn't matter because we're a family, and every family is unique in their own way.

"You made it" I heard a voice say to me, which snaps me out of my thoughts, looking ahead to see Ella now standing in front of me, with Remi standing by her side.

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything" I replied with a smile and the truth. Ella looks at me for a second, neither one of us saying anything I think we're just taking in this moment that's happening right now.

"You're my daddy, aren't you? Mommy showed me pictures" I heard a little voice say, pulling my eyes from Ella and kneeled down to Remi's level, smiling at her.

"Yeah...I'm your daddy-;" I broke off for a moment just as a wave of emotion hits me out of nowhere because I think it's just finally hit me that I am a dad.

"And I'm really happy to finally meet you Remi" I added, Remi takes a second to give me a once over, then looks up to her mom before turning her eyes back to me, and finally gives me a real true smile.

She definitely has Ella's eyes.

"I drew this for you..." Remi trailed off, handing me a piece of white paper. Taking it from her gently, with a smile, before letting my eyes glaze over the paper in my hands. The piece of paper has two crayon people in the middle, holding hands.

A little girl with long golden hair and green eyes for Remi, and a daddy standing next to the little girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes which I am assuming is me. With flowers and the sun around us, the words over our heads as Remi & Daddy.

Clearly, Ella has helped her draw it, but it's beautiful and special, and it's all mine.

"It's beautiful, where's mommy?" I ask her, she lets go of Ella's hand and moves closer to me with a smile, like she's going to tell me a secret.

"I draw me and mommy all the time," She said, just as Ella looks down at her with a smile and nods her head.

"It's true I have lots, she wanted this one to be especially for you" Ella replies, nodding my head and let the smile stay on my face, just as I look back at my daughter.

"It's perfect, thank you Remi," I say truly to her, with tears in my eyes which I hope nobody notices.

But either way, right now I couldn't care less if they did because I just received the greatest gift of my life, and I'm not talking about my picture which I love, but my greatest gift has been this moment with Remi for the first time.

"Your welcome daddy" I hear Remi say which brings me out of my own thoughts, standing back up and rubbed my eyes a little, just as Ella looks over at me with sadness in her eyes.

"That's going to take some time getting used to," I say out loud, that's the first time in my life I've been referred to as someone daddy. Remi lets out a small childish laugh still standing by my side, a couple of steps in front of Ella.

"Well, I think a talented artist like yourself, needs some ice cream. What do you say?" I ask her, Remi practically jumps up and down at the mention of ice cream.

"ICE CREAM!" She yells in the cutest voice ever and grabs my hand before trying to pull me forward, taking one step just as Ella gently grabs both of our hands, in each one of her own hands.

"Wait, lunch first and then ice cream," Ella says to us with a motherly look on her face, with makes my smile even bigger. I feel my hand relax into her hand.

"Please mommy."

"Please Ella." Remi and I both said with pouting faces. Ella looks at us both for a second, shaking her own head before smiling at us.

"How can I argue with those cute faces, Ice cream it is." She announces, Remi jumps up and down clapping her hands.

Locking my eyes on Ella, smiling at her, Ella looks at me and shook her head, defeated but still smiling.... a beautiful smile no less.

"You have me breaking all of my rules" Ella adds, she's always been one for rules even all those years ago in high school.

"Haven't I always?" I say instantly, before taking holding Remi's hand gently. Ella's and my hands were still in-locked from before, I think we're both aware that we're holding hands, but neither one of us has made a move to take our own hands back yet.

"Let just go and get ice cream" Ella mumbles to me.

Just as we all begin walking down the park trail, each one of us holding onto a hand, like a family does.

Today has been surreal because for the first time in Remi's whole life she's been a part of a family with two parents, something that she's never had before today.

And a part of her glowed today, something that I haven't seen before as her mom. Scott was so good with her; I mean he was a natural type of parent, Remi loved him instantly.

"Which one is her room?" I heard Scott ask me, snapping me out of my own thoughts. Turning my head towards Scott, who held a sleeping Remi in his arms like a father would of his sleeping child.

"Down the hall on the left" I replied and watched him disappear through my house, after a long day in the park today along with a family-style pizza for dinner.

Remi was exhausted.... bless her, I was happy enough to carry her inside the house myself as I have done for years, but Scott wanted to. He said it's a first dad moment for him, putting his child to bed.

Today has only made my heart ache more though, leaving me with even more guilt than I had months ago. Because today for the first time I've seen the type of dad Scott is going to be, a good one, a caring one at that.

So, the guilt I have is that he could have had all of this from the beginning, but I kept it from him.

"She is down for the count-"I heard Scott say once again, as he comes strolling back into the living room, with a proud dad smile on his face.

"Thank you, Scott the bigger she gets the harder it is for me to carry her" I admit,

"It's not a problem Ella, I loved everything about today and it's been amazing. Thank you for that" He says to me, shaking my head as I feel tears in my eyes, we said we wouldn't be sad anymore about all the past mistakes, but it's hard not to.

"Don't go all soft on me Vaughan" I joked with humor the best I could. He looks at me for a second and smiles but also sighs sadly,

"We're past soft now, after you and Remi, I'm practically a giant teddy bear" He replied before heading towards the door to leave.

"Hey, Scott-;" I spoke up, he stops and turns back around to face me.

"Yeah" He pipes in, taking one step closer to him.

"Remi she really likes you.... justmake sure you stick around... please," I say to him sadly.

I don't want to make him feel bad or anything like that, I just want him to know that Remi is already attached to him now, and if he were to leave it would break her heart.

Scott gives me a glance and then walks over to me, closing the space between us. For a split moment, I just let my gaze stay on him until he pulls me into his arms once again.

"I'm not going anywhere Ella, because everything that I want is right here" He whispers to me and then simply lets me go, before I can even react, he's out of my house, with no more words said between us.

I can't help but think...maybe just maybe this might be a new beginning for us and I'm not sure how to react to that just yet.