7. Seven

Seven

Cass

My parents’ number blinks on the screen, the one I’ve known by heart since I was a kid. There’s no evading this call. As much as I want to keep the thrill of having a daughter to myself, I know it’s time. My family needs to hear the truth–it’s unavoidable, yet it hangs over me–making me hesitate.

Finally, I tap the screen to call.

The phone rings once, twice, before my mother picks up. “Cass? Honey, is that you?”

I swallow, trying to clear the thickness in my throat. “Yeah, Mom. It’s me.”

“Well, it’s about time! Your father and I were just saying how long it’s been since you called. Are you alright?”

I close my eyes, steeling myself. “I’m good, Mom. Actually, I have some news. Something big.”

A pause, and I can almost see the look she’s giving Dad as they both go silent. “Okay, dear,” she says slowly, “What is it?”

I take a breath. “I, uh... I have a daughter, Mom. Her name’s Cassidy. She’s eleven.”

The silence stretches longer this time. Then she whispers, almost to herself, “Cassidy, who’s eleven…” A little laugh slips from her. “I’m sorry, did you just say you have a daughter?”

“I did. I do.” I say it quietly, giving her time to let the truth sink in.

“Cass,” my father’s voice cuts in, “we need some context here. You’re talking about a granddaughter we’ve never known? How is that possible?”

“She—she’s Kendrick’s daughter,” I explain, my voice barely steady. “The girl I used to… the one who opened for me. She left before I got big.” Just saying it out loud feels like reopening a wound, like I’m holding out something raw for them to see.

“Oh, Cass,” my mom whispers. “We always wondered about her. We could tell she meant something to you.”

“Yeah, well.” I let out a strained laugh. “Apparently, there was more to it. And she kept this a secret from me. For all these years.”

“Does the child know?” Mom asks softly.

“She found out just recently.” I sigh. “Mom, Cassidy’s incredible. She’s just like me when it comes to music, but she also has her mom’s voice. And I—I want her in my life. I thought you guys would want to meet her.”

“Yes. We’ll come as soon as you want us there,” she says without hesitation. There’s excitement in her voice, but I can hear the concern too. “Oh, Cass, I’m so sorry that her mother kept this from you. But you’ll make it work.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, not entirely convinced. “Thanks, Mom.”

After the call, I pace around the room, trying to rein in my emotions. Resentment sits heavy in my chest as I think about all the years I missed with Cassidy. Emotions rise and fall like a storm inside me. Kendrick kept our daughter a secret.

She made that decision without me, robbing me of years I’ll never get back. I had the right to know. But every time she’s near, every time her steady eyes meet mine, my anger fades. What replaces it? I don’t know. Longing? A yearning for unfinished things or something else–something I’m not sure how to handle?

I run a hand through my hair, and just then, Kendrick appears at the door, watching me with that familiar, guarded look. She leans against the frame, her hands pressed tightly together. “Are you okay?”

I glance at her, struggling to keep my voice even. “Do you know what it feels like to realize you’ve missed eleven years of your kid’s life, Kendrick? Eleven years?”

Her face tightens at the anger in my voice. I see a quick flash of regret, but then she raises her chin. “You think this was easy for me?” she shoots back, her voice slightly rising. “You think it was easy being a single parent. Raising our daughter alone?”

“Then you should have told me,” I demand, my fists clenching. “Why did you decide to keep this a secret?”

She hesitates, a flash of pain in her eyes. “Because… because you were so close to everything you’d ever dreamed of. I didn’t want to be the one to ruin that.”

“Ruin?” I shake my head, trying to understand. “How would knowing about Cassidy ruin anything?”

“Cass, you were on the brink of stardom. You had a shot at a life most people only dream of, and I knew that’s what you wanted. And if you knew about Cassidy, you might’ve stayed, and you would have resented me and her. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Her words hit me hard. Part of me understands, but another part of me is furious. “You never gave me the chance to make that choice for myself, Kendrick. That’s not fair.”

“I did what I thought was right,” she says, voice breaking. “Maybe it wasn’t. But it’s done, Cass. I can’t undo the past, even if it was a mistake.”

The room falls silent, and we stare at each other, our breaths heavy, tension crackling in the air. Her eyes glisten, and the weight of all the lost years presses down between us.

I take a deep breath, trying to let go of the anger. “Look,” I say, my voice softening. “I don’t want to keep fighting about this. I just—I want to make up for lost time. For Cassidy’s sake.”

Kendrick nods, her expression unreadable. “Fine, then let’s do that.”

“Good.” I take a step back, the anger settling into something else—something close to acceptance. “I have a high-end show coming up in New York. I was thinking that I’d like you and Cassidy to come with me. It’d be good for her to see more of what I do, maybe meet some of the band.”

She looks at me, eyes narrowing. “Cass, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

I nod firmly. “Yes. I want her to be part of my world.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Kendrick agrees, but I can see a strange hint of tension in her eyes as if she doesn’t know if this will be good for her or our daughter. Something is holding her back.

The next day, I get a call from Derrick to go over the New York details. I keep my voice casual as I say, “I’d like to bring a couple of people with me.”

“Who?” Derrick immediately asks, his voice curious.

“I have a daughter. Her name is Cassidy, she’s eleven. I’d like her mother to come along as well,” I tell him reluctantly, then wait for the storm to break.

“What?” I hear the shock and anger in his voice. After it sinks in, he declares, “Cass, we need to talk about this! An eleven-year-old daughter showing up out of nowhere? Don’t be a fool. Did the girl’s mother say she was your daughter?”

“I figured it out–” I begin, but Derrick cuts me off.

His laugh is sharp and cutting. “Cass, what proof do you have that the child is yours?”

I grit my teeth, keeping my tone even. “She’s my daughter, Derrick. I know she is.”

Derrick sighs, the sound harsh and calculated, like he’s trying to piece together a strategy that doesn’t exist. “Cass, listen to me. Being a superstar brings all kinds of people out of the woodwork. A kid! Really? This is probably some slut groupie hoping to get some hush money by trying to pawn another guy’s kid off on you.”

My patience snaps. “Derrick, this isn’t a scam! It’s not like that. And this is my daughter we’re talking about.”

Hearing the firmness in my voice, Derrick grudgingly relents, “Listen, I’m not saying you can’t see her, Cass. I’m just saying you can’t be seen with her. You’re at the top of your career. Let’s not let anything jeopardize that. A kid blows up everything we’ve worked for. Your brand–heartthrob rocker? Gone. You’ll be nothing but tabloid gossip.”

My voice tight with resolve, I reply, “I’m not going to hide my daughter, Derrick. She’s going to be part of my life now, whether it fits the ‘brand’ or not.”

A long silence stretches between us, and finally, Derrick lets out an irritated yet resigned sigh. “Alright. But no announcements. No pictures with her in public. We keep this low-key until we figure out the best way to approach it, okay?”

I nod, even though he can’t see me, tension still simmering beneath the surface. “Fine. But she and Kendrick, her mother, are coming with me, and I won’t let anyone treat them like a dirty little secret.”

“Okay, but only if you agree to a paternity test,” before I can interrupt, he continues in a calm voice, trying to reason with me. “If you’re sure the kid is yours, it will only confirm it. Make it official.”

“Fine,” I say flatly, ending the call.

Derrick’s words echo in my head, but I push them aside. My focus is Cassidy now, and nothing my manager says will change that. As I pack for the trip, his words linger, but they’re outweighed by the determination I feel pulsing in my chest. I may have lost eleven years with Cassidy, but I’m not letting go now.

We step onto the tarmac, where a sleek private jet waits under the soft haze of morning light. Cassidy’s eyes widen as she takes in the plane. She glances back at me, her smile tentative but filled with wonder. It’s the same look I had the first time I stepped onto a private jet years ago, the thrill of it tempered now by the endless flights and routines. Seeing it through her eyes makes it fresh. She’s sharing my world now, and I see her excitement as a bridge between us.

“It’s like something out of a movie,” Cassidy whispers, glancing at her mom, who gives her a warm, encouraging smile.

We climb the stairs into the jet’s cool, quiet interior. The luxury is understated but undeniably there: buttery leather seats, polished walnut accents, and a small table set with drinks and snacks. Cassidy immediately slides into one of the seats, grinning as she runs her fingers along the edge of the seat’s armrest.

“This is fantastic,” she says, her voice hushed.

I grin, sliding into the seat beside her. “It’s all part of the life, Cassidy.”

Kendrick sits across from us, her gaze flicking between Cassidy and me. A faint smile lingers on her lips, but there’s something guarded in her eyes, a hesitation of sorts. I can tell she’s taking it all in—the fancy jet, Cassidy’s reaction, the strangeness of us all being here together. This would have been unthinkable years ago before I became famous. But now, here we are, a strange mix of old memories and new possibilities.

The flight attendant comes over, greeting us with a bright smile and offering drinks. Cassidy asks for a soda, and I ask for a coffee, feeling the need for something to steady me. Kendrick declines, her gaze moving to the window, lost in thought.

I try to focus on the hum of the engine, the quiet murmur of Cassidy’s excitement, as we soar toward New York. The silence between Kendrick and me is filled with a tension that’s been building slowly since the moment I invited Cassidy on this trip. Every now and then, I catch her glancing over, her eyes searching mine as if she’s trying to reconcile the man I am now with the one I was back then.

After a smooth flight, we touch down at a private airstrip just outside of New York City. Derrick’s waiting for us, already on his phone as we step off the plane. He’s barking orders into his headset as he motions us toward a blacked-out SUV waiting at the edge of the tarmac. He gestures us over impatiently, giving Kendrick a cold, harsh, assessing look, but Kendrick raises her chin almost in challenge.

Cassidy clings to Kendrick’s side as we follow him, her excitement tempered by the intimidating frown etched on Derrick’s face.

“Alright, let’s go,” Derrick says curtly, opening the door to the SUV. “We need to keep things discreet. The last thing we need is word getting out that you have guests.”

Kendrick stiffens beside me, her gaze hardening. But she doesn’t say anything, and neither do I. It’s a battle I’ll have to fight with Derrick later. Right now, I just want to get them settled and let them experience New York City without a media circus hanging over our heads.

We climb into the darkened SUV, the doors shutting with a soft thud. Cassidy is glued to the window, her eyes wide as she watches the city blur past us. Kendrick sits next to me, silent, but I can feel the unease radiating from her. I want to reach over, take her hand, or say something that will bridge the chasm between us, but I know it’s too soon.

My gaze settles on Cassidy, pleasure swelling in my chest as I watch her take in the world around her. It’s as if the emptiness I’ve been feeling is gone, replaced by the old enthusiasm I used to have. She’s my daughter, and now I finally get to share my life with her and her mother.