“But Tegan is no longer a child. It should be her decision. Are you more afraid he’ll refuse to be in her life, or that he will want to be part of it?”

“Both options seem equally dreadful, and neither will do Tegan any good.”

“To the contrary: both would.”

“Really? How?”

“If he wants nothing to do with her, Tegan will stop blaming you for keeping her away from her other parent. It’ll hurt at first, sure. But it’ll also give Tegan closure and allow her to heal. And if, instead, he ends up regretting his choice, Tegan will have a chance to meet her father. Fifteen years is a long time for a man to reflect on his mistakes. He could regret his decision.”

“Yeah? Then why didn’t he try to find his daughter once in all these years? I’m not that hard to track down.”

“I can’t answer that question. Only he can. Do you know where he is now?”

Vivian lets out a bitter scoff. “Dean of Arts and Humanities at Harvard. A few months ago, I came across an article somewhere about the youngest faculty member ever appointed to the position. I never said he wasn’t smart… or driven.”

“Okay,” I say. “Then the only remaining question is: are you ready to share all this with Tegan?”

Seventeen

Vivian

Dr. Magnanimous agrees to let me stew for a few days on what we discussed. Still, the conversation leaves me kind of raw. In my office, I try to concentrate on a deposition but fail miserably. When my phone rings, I welcome the distraction.

“Hello. This is Vivian Hessington.”

“Hi, Miss Hessington, this is Barbara, your Dating Specialist from Listen to Your Heart. Can you talk now?”

“Yes, I’m not with a client.”

“Great, because I have good news. The agency has found a new match for you. Would you be free this upcoming weekend?”

“Yes,” I confirm. Provided my daughter doesn’t get deeper into her teenage rebellion phase.

“Perfect. I’ll inform your match and let you know as soon as he picks a location and time.”

“Okay, fantastic. I’ll wait for your call.”

***

The date ends up being a Sunday brunch at Robert, a classic New York spot. The restaurant is nestled atop the Museum of Arts & Design and overlooks Columbus Circle and Central Park. I’ve only been once, but always wanted to come back. The view from the top is amazing.

I enter the iconic New York building through the glass revolving door, ignore the museum admission booth, and head straight for the elevator. There are no mirrors on the elevator walls, but I still try to check my reflection in the silver plates of the sliding doors as it carries me up to the ninth floor.