After ending the call, the first thing I do is pick out some photos of Amelia. One by herself, one with me, and one with both Delaney and I. Pania took that one. The three of us are holding hands with Amelia in the middle, and while she’s looking straight at the camera, Delaney and I are sharing a smile.

There’s so much love in that photo, and it’s one of my favourite photos of us.

I press send and Mom texts me back moments later.

Mom: She’s beautiful. And that last photo is wonderful. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of your story.

At least that crisis is averted.

But there’s still the story to come if that runs, and dealing with any fallout.

* * *

The story runs before the end of the day.

They don’t muck around with putting it up on the web, and it’ll be in print by morning.

Clear as a bell, there are three photos of Amelia. She’s so beautiful. There’s a big smile on her face, and in one of them she’s skipping along beside her mother.

Fuck.

I’m so close to us being a family, and this is Delaney’s biggest fear.

I can’t blame her. I’ve seen some of the comments on social media over the story about me and Delaney. I don’t know what motivates people to be so mean. This time around, I’m sure a lot of the bile will be aimed at Delaney rather than Amelia, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Tonya puts out a brief statement in case anyone else comes knocking.

Josh is upset and angry that his family has been used in this way. There is no secret love child, but a family that he didn’t want the limelight focused on. Delaney and Amelia should be entitled to their privacy, and no more interviews will be granted to any news organisation which publishes this story.

It’s simple, but who knows how effective it will be?

I do want to know where those photos came from.

Forty

Delaney

The whole weekend is an emotional rollercoaster.

There’s a part of me that says Josh and I can’t be together. Not if the cost is our daughter. But I can’t walk away. I’m in way too deep, and there’s an equal part of me that thinks that staying will keep her safe.

It’s so hard to think when we’re apart, but equally hard when we’re together.

I’m glad Josh got me to turn off my social media notifications. Every man and his dog wants a piece of our story. He’s got people to handle this stuff, but if Joe Blogs reporter from another trashy rag tweets me again, I’m going nuclear.