We're back at it again, our team's in the finals and babygirl's birthday is around the corner. Julia's turning six in two weeks.

"Here's the definitive list of everything needed. This should be all." My oldest sister Mai sent everyone an email through the group message while seated in front of me.

The families from both sides came over to discuss Julia's party.

We were spread out in the living, dining room, and kitchen area of the house. We had just finished eating breakfast.

Everyone had their checklist of todos.

This birthday's a special one. What makes it unique? It's Julias' golden birthday. The sixth month of the sixth day, turning six years old.

Adira and I agreed this was the perfect age to tell her about her biological father. We wanted her to know before hearing about it from someone else.

Keeping her away from the paparazzi and blogs is one thing, but her friends at school is another. I can't control that.

This is why everyone is pitching in to make sure her birthday is flawless. Maybe I'm going overboard, but I'm only nervous about how she'll take the news.

We plan to tell her today. That way Julia will have time to process it before the festivities began.

"The runway finished? I know she wants all of her friends from school to walk." I asked Mai. She's the go-to person that's been keeping everything organized.

"Yes, please make sure we have that." Ju squealed while cradled in my lap, She's excited. "I want my friends to get the clothes, makeup, and everything. The full model show."

"No worries, it's all good to go. They're building it tomorrow. All the material needed is already there." Jade scanned her checked off list.

"Good because Marcell and some of the other teammates are bringing their kids. We need to make sure we have a big enough staff to accommodate." I made it clear. I wanted everyone on the same page to make this event extravagant. —Pulling out all stops. No budget.

"I'll go by later today to make sure all the different areas of the room are evenly spaced. So we won't run into each other. That was my main concern." Mai added, we nodded. This was her wheelhouse. She always comes through, making things happen.

Not only are we doing a runway with a full team we have; a dance floor, servers, a magician, and some trapeze artists.

"As far as decor, it's a big space. We have to fill it. We don't want weird blank spaces. Utilize every part of the room." My mom stated. She's on edge too about this inevitable conversation we're having with baby girl later.

Everyone's attached to Julia. It's almost like we wish we didn't have to have this conversation, but we do.

Diri's been nervous all morning. I had to keep reminding her that we raised Ju, and she'll always love us.

But we don't want our daughter feeling singled out or less than because she's not.

"I'm confident in the planner. He's known for his big events. It should be fine." I said while watching Diri get up from snuggled beside me, headed to the kitchen.

She's been back and forth to the bathroom, throwing up.

Yeah, she's two months pregnant. We found out a month ago. We haven't told anyone. I guess that's another reason why we're nervous.

We decided to hold off on telling Julia about the baby. First, we wanted to make sure she was secure with her thoughts about me not being her birth father.

"The very best for my grandbaby." My mom smiled hard at Julia.

It was gearing around noon.

"We're about to head out. Next time I see everyone, it'll be at my niece's big girl party." Diri's brother Jr stood up stretching. Julia got up and ran over to him.

"We're right behind you." My parents seconded. My mom and mother n' law went into the kitchen to have some words with Diri. The other women followed her shortly after.

"I have everything set for Ju Ju Beans grand entrance. It's lit." Jr decided to change the subject.

"Can you give me a hint, pleaseeeeee?" Julia squeezed her uncle's neck, trying to convince him.

"Yeah, pleaseeeeeee." My little sister Gabbie and Diri's little sister Kamala said at the same time. They recently graduated from college and moved in together, along with my driver Bens daughter Allison. Yep, our baby sisters are adults now, yikes.

"It's a surprise. Sooo, nope." Jr refused not budging at all. I was hoping to get little hint too, but he's being tight-lipped about it. "The only person I told was my nephew. The only one I trust to keep it a secret."

"My lips are sealed." Diri's nephew Garret Jr locked his lips and threw away the key. He's now a freshman in high school. Diris oldest sister Maliha is still fussy about him playing football, but he's killing it on the field.

"Ugh." Julia rolled her eyes and plopped her head down on her uncle's shoulder. We laughed at her dramatics.

"Aight lets all get out of here, give them some privacy." My mother stated. The ladies made their way back over to the family room.

"Thank you guys for coming and helping us with the party," Diri said, walking behind her mother towards me.

"Call if you need us." Her dad hugged her from the side and kissed the top of her head.

Everyone walked toward the door.

"Let us know how everything goes." My mother n law spoke softly before hugging me. "We're here if you need us."

I nodded and thanked her. Jr placed Julia on her feet then dapped me up before leaving with Char behind him.

I shut the door after making sure everyone got in there vehicles ok.

"The countdown begins. I can't wait for my birthday." Julia sprinted upstairs to her fashion model styled room.

Adira and I stood in the doorway quietly, holding each other.

Wrapping my arms around her I asked, "how are you feeling?"

"Nauseuous, nervous, anxious."

I stroked circles in her lower back. "Lets go ahead and get to it. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She lifted her head from my shoulder. "I'll get the photos just in case."

She walked upstairs to our bedroom. She kept a shoebox with some pictures in it, specifically for this moment.

I went ahead and tidied the kitchen, living room, and dining room. Keeping the mind busy.

****

Both Adira and I were seated in the downstairs lounge area of Julia's room. She has her own little suite in the house, to match her too mature for her age personality.

Ju takes her modeling career seriously. She wanted the whole experience with the America's Next Top Model styled mansion room. This was all a courtesy of my two lovely older sisters, Jade and Mai.

Diri placed the shoebox on the floor by her feet as Julia made herself comfortable seated in between us.

"Mommy, and daddy has some news for you. Before we tell you anything, I need you to understand a few things." I started the conversation. She nodded, waiting for us to proceed.

"Your dad and I wanted to make sure you were at an age where we knew you would comprehend what we have to say. We also didn't want to chance you hearing about this from someone else." Diri added, Ju nodded again turning her head to me.

"We love you so much. I don't ever want you to doubt that. I'm proud of you, and you're an amazing kid." I scooted closer to her to grab her hands. She had a puzzled expression.

"What's going on?" She then turned to her mother for answers. Julia's a smart girl, and she pays attention to detail. The look on her face confirmed that we needed to tell her before it was too late.

"You remember I told you about when mommy and I met?" I asked.

She nodded again, "yes sir. You said you met mommy at a diner, and she was mean."

I laughed, resulting in Diri shoving me.

Julia giggled, giving me a clueless shrug, "That's what you said."

"I did." I chuckled then took a breath, regaining her attention. "I fell deeply in love with your mother. It was the most natural thing to do. Like puzzle pieces, perfect fit."

I went on further, "but neither one of us is perfect, no one is."

"Like how I made you pancakes and got all of those eggshells in them, but you still ate it anyway?" She compared.

"Yeah, kind of like that. Those pancakes were still good even though they were far from perfect." I took another breath while glancing at Diri. She remained silent, giving me a nod letting me know that I got this. She knew how important it was to me to be the one to tell her.

"Ju, after I got to know your mother, she told me something very special. Something very private she trusted me with." I held both of her hands securely in mine.

"What did she say?" She sat up straight with her legs crossed.

"She told me she was having a baby."

"Me?" Ju pointed looking down at her finger poking her chest. "Was I the baby?"

"Yes, you." I pointed to her as well, causing her to laugh. Then I gathered her hands once again. "Mommy was already carrying you inside of her tummy, —before we met."

I gave her a second to think. Making sure I was talking at a pace she could hopefully understand.

Watching her eyes leave mine drifting down to her soft pink blanket she had over her legs, almost made my heart stop. She was mentally trying to piece it together.

"What does that mean?" She brought her gaze back to me.

"I met mommy and fell in love with her. She told me she was having a baby. I was surprised and taken back by this gift of life she was bringing in the world. —You. I had to take some time to think about it. The same way you're thinking about it right now." I cleared my throat.

"I didn't take long, though. I came back to your mom that same night, with the thought of not knowing how to act around her anymore. But I didn't want to stop being around her because I had already fell in love." A smile crept on my face as my wife tried to hide hers. "Your mom became my best friend, my best everything."

I could tell Julia was confused. I needed to be specific and come right out with it. As much as it scares me.

"You can ask anything you want to ask at any moment, Ju. Don't be afraid." Diri added.

"Ok." She mumbled, unsure of what to say.

"I am your dad. I will always be your daddy, and I love you with all of my heart." Silence came in between us. "Your mommy and I came in here to tell you that even though I'm not your birth father, I am your father. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

She shook her head no then lowered it, mumbling, "you're not my dad."

I brought my hand to her chin to lift it then grabbed her hands. "I did not have a part in creating you, no. But that smart wisdom mindset, your sense of humor, and your high standards you uphold for yourself, all come from me. I am your dad. —What's your last name?"

"Martin." She spoke low.

"That's right, Julia Ada Martin." I nodded confidently. "You're a Martin, just like mommy and daddy."

Ju didn't say anything, only brought her attention back to her blanket. Diri and I just watched her.

"You will always be my firstborn. No one could ever change that."

The room fell silent again.

"Hey bug, you want me to leave and give you some time to talk with daddy?" Di decided to break the stillness of the room.

Julia took a minute before responding. She shook her head, no.

This was the part of being famous I didn't like. I don't have the luxury of waiting to tell her about things of this magnitude. This is something the world was already aware of, for years now.

"What do you want right now? Tell me what you need. What are you thinking?" Diri asked her?

"To talk to you," she said above a whisper, bringing her eyes to Diri.

"Ok, we can talk. I'm here to answer whatever questions you have."

Ju took a few glances at me as if she was signaling Diri a coded message. She then climbed over in Diris arms and whispered something in her ear.

I sat watching on.

Ju quickly tucked her head in Di's chest, hiding. I stared at Diri's empathetic expression.

"It's ok. I'll give you two some time to talk. I'll be in the room watching game film. Take as much time as you need." I managed to smile at both of them before getting up to leave.

It was still a little early before dinner time. I figured I would wait to see what they wanted first.

Closing the door behind me, my mind began to wander.

What if Ju wanted to meet him? What if she starts seeing me differently? How will she feel about the new baby coming?

We no longer have the restraining order. Didn't get it renewed after the third year. So seeing him is an option if that's what Ju wants to do and if he's willing.

That scares me senseless.

Entering our bedroom, the only thing I could think to do was to look Nelson up. I just wanted to know what he's been up to, to get ahead of it. My first instinct is —and will always be to protect my family.

Pulling up his social media pages, I saw him photoed with his pregnant wife and three kids. One boy maybe a year or so younger than Julia and two twin girls. They looked to be around two.

"Someones been busy." I chuckle to myself. I scrolled further, seeing photos of him interacting with his kids, his dad, and some other family together.

I found myself looking into his career path. I was aware of his family's wealth and knew he didn't have to work if he didn't want to.

Surprisingly, he's currently an investor and also has a few charities he founded. One stuck out to me; The Strength in Battered Women Organization.

I dug a little deeper into my investigation and clicked on the website to the foundation. On the page, there were photos of different events Nelson attended speaking out. He had survivors photoed telling their story.

He also had a column on narcissism and the signs to look for. At the bottom of the page, he had a bio section telling about experiences with his behavior. How he came to a realization and his path to forgiveness.

In the bio article, Nelson spoke about his therapy and how he battled with being consistent. Without being too specific, he talked about the unfolding of his destruction. That lead to years of caused pain and regret.

While finishing the article, I heard a faint knock on the door before it opened. Adira walked in. "What are you up to?"

"Not too much." I locked my phone and tossed it on the bed.

She came in holding the shoebox. I stared at it as she came closer and took a seat on my lap, sideways. She placed the box on the bed beside us.

"How is she?"

"She's sad, scared —her mind's running a mile a minute." Diri wrapped her arm around my torso and rested her chin on shoulder. I placed my free hand on her stomach, rubbing it.

"What did she say?"

"She doesn't care to know any more about it. She said she doesn't want another daddy." She leaned back to see my face. "I think we should give her a day or two then revisit the conversation."

"Ok." I nodded my head, revealing no emotion.

"Also, don't take it personally; —her preferring to speak to me in private. She wanted to cry and feel whatever she felt in the moment, but she didn't want to hurt your feelings. She needs time to figure things out for herself. Our little girl is growing up, and she's more aware. This is her first major disappointment."

I nodded again.

"Let's figure out dinner. Why don't you go ask your daughter to choose dinner?" She got off my lap and grabbed the shoebox then headed toward the closet.

I glanced at the box again. "Did she see those photos?"

She turned toward me shaking her head. "Nope. I didn't even mention them. We'll cross that bridge if she wants to know more later.

I stood and walked over to Diri and held my hand out for the box. She handed it over.

I've seen the pictures years ago, and I understood why she kept them.

I opened the box and skimmed through the images, landing on one in particular.

"You look so uncomfortable in this picture." I laughed, handing it to her.

"I was. That was me conforming myself to look like his ideal woman. The dress was hideous, my makeup was a disaster, which I attempted to apply it myself. My hair was a mess —my first time curling it." She breathed out dramatically, "and let me not get started on the shoes."

We laughed.

"You do look a little..." I laughed again. She tilted her head, waiting for me to finish. "You look, beautiful baby."

"Un-huh, that's what I thought." She giggled, snatching the box from me.

I pulled her to me before she could turn away and stole a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." She met my lips again. I slid my hands around to her backside. She giggled, "don't tempt me. You know pregnant Adira is a whole other beast."

"Oh, I remember the horny tears. Luckily this time, you won't have to wait for it. Just say the word, and it's yours. —I'm at your service, go ahead and release the beast." I semi yelled the last part, earning laughs from both of us.

She placed the box back in the closet then joined me, knocking on Julia's door.

"You may enter."

I twisted the knob opening it. She was on the floor with her beads out, making a bracelet.

"We were trying to figure out dinner. What do you want to eat?" I awkwardly asked because it took her a while to look up.