Tabitha pouted and hid behind me, her disappointment obvious.
Then, the principal remembered why she was here, and she smacked her head. “Oh, Ms. Johnson, you can’t pull Tabitha out of the kindergarten unless her father also signs this—”
“Ms. Lane!” I tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Timothy looked at me, curious. “You’re pulling her out of school?”
Ms. Lane was about to say something, but I stopped her. “Nothing. Tabitha’s hurt, so she’s pulling out of the talent show.”
He didn’t suspect anything, so he took the papers. “Where should I sign?”
The principal waved her hands. “Not you, Mr. Horuson. The girl’s father.”
That struck a nerve, and Timothy snarled, “I’m Tabitha’s father. You got a problem with that?”
“What?” The news hit the principal hard.
I had no idea why he would expose our relationship all of a sudden. Pity, perhaps. We didn’t need it. I grabbed the papers and turned to Ms. Lane, apologizing, “Sorry, he was just messing around. He’s Nathaniel’s father. I’m kind of a single mother now. Tabitha has no dad.”
Timothy was frustrated, but he couldn’t retort, so he held Tabitha’s hand. “It’s alright, Tabitha. Daddy will sign it for you.”
Tabitha shook her head. “You’re not my father, Mr. Horuson. I have no father.”
That froze him. She pulled his hand away and put her hand in mine, then we left.
From behind, Timothy interrogated, “That’s how you teach Tabitha? If I’m not her father, then it’s okay if I don’t show up at her birthday tonight, is it?”
I couldn’t believe he would use that to blackmail me. I was getting furious and ready to argue, but Tabitha held me. “If you’re that busy, Mr. Horuson, just keep working.”
I looked at Tabitha, shaken. Her eyes were red, but she held back her sobs and kept quiet. I couldn’t. I cried and bent over to scoop her up, then I strode off like the wind.
‘I will not let you hurt my girl ever again, Timothy,’ I thought fiercely.
