“My boy,” he said, smile wide as he held his arms open for a hug. He didn’t wait for me to slide into them. Instead, he wrapped me up in a bear hug, clapping me hard on the shoulder as he released me.

I stood there in shock, taking in the father of my ex-girlfriend who had always felt like a father to me, too. He was beaming with pride, his eyes the same brown as Maliyah’s. He was as tall as I was, but thicker, like a tree stump of a man. He was dressed to the nines as he always was, from his well-tailored, navy blue suit and silver cufflinks, to the Prada dress shoes on his feet.

Power and confidence — that’s what he always exuded.

“That was a hell of a game,” he said. “I’m glad I was here to see it.”

I blinked, shaking off my surprise. “I am, too.”

“Your future is looking brighter and brighter. I know you don’t need me to tell you, but I’m proud of you, Clay.” He nodded, something cautious in his eyes. “I never got to speak to you after everything happened.”

Everything meaning his daughter throwing my heart in a blender.

“I won’t pretend to understand my baby girl,” he said with a gentle smile. “But I will tell you this — I think it was a mistake. And I hope she realizes that, too.”

A knot formed in my throat.

“And I also want you to know that regardless, I’m still here for you. Always. Okay? Anytime you need something — you just pick up the phone and call.”

I nodded, biting the inside of my lip as emotion surged through me. I almost wanted to fall into the big man’s arms and sob, to thank him for being here, for loving me, for believing in me.

But I also wanted to distance myself.

No matter what I felt growing up with him, he wasn’t my family — not then, and certainly not now.

I had to get that through my head sooner or later.

“Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me,” I managed.

A nod of understanding was all he was able to offer me before Maliyah swung around the corner, throwing herself into Cory’s arms.

“Daddy!”

“Hey, sweetheart. You looked great out there.”

She smiled and beamed under his praise just like I did, and my heart ached for a reality where my father came to home games and met me in the locker room after.

Maliyah’s eyes caught on me, and she swallowed, glancing up at her dad and then back.

“I want to say hello to a friend in the front office,” Cory said, and it didn’t surprise me that he had friends on the staff.

He had friends everywhere.

“Meet me at the car?” he asked, and then he kissed his daughter’s cheek without waiting for a response.