What are you doing here?

“What are you doing here?”

I didn't want to hear this question so I never went back home.

There were never smiley faces or open arms waiting when I got back. It was always that question.

Pushing my glasses frame back up my nose with an index finger, I type in the name ‘Sheila Moore’. I said I was going to find her, and I would.

Her pretty face comes into view on the computer. Light brown skin, chestnut afro tied into cute buns, wide brown eyes that literally twinkled through the screen, little pink lips that pursed in an innocent smile.

My daughter was the most beautiful thing that happened to me, and I wouldn't lose her for anything in the world.

On this day five years ago I was sitting in the office, drinking yogurt and talking about the beautiful weather with my colleagues while my wife back at home packed up her things and that of my baby's and left my house for good.

I could never understand why I wasn't good enough for Tracey. My rough palms scourge my face as I exhale sharply. We'd met after college. Two fresh graduates who were excited about the prospects life had in store for them.

We were in love!

I used to buy fresh flowers but because she was allergic to pollen, I got the artificials. In every color I could find. I'd slip some of them in her golden hair, watching the corners of her blue eyes crinkle as she laughed with delight.

Friday nights were always date nights. I didn't have a lot of money, barely had money as a matter of fact, but I'd roast pork in my house, spread a blanket under the skies and stare at the stars with her.

We were happy, She seemed so content.

Then the wedding came. It was small and simple, my friends and her family under a cherry blossom tree with a live group from a local bar playing softly in the background. It was magical.

I'd just gotten a job as a clerk in this big firm then, so confident that I was soon going to get a promotion and everything would be okay, but a year went by…. two years…I was still a clerk.

We weren't comfortable but we managed to live in her family house with her mom, her two brothers, four cousins and a total of seven kids. We shared a room with two of her cousins. Her mom slept with the kids, while the rest slept in the living room or wherever they liked.

Then she got pregnant.

“Mr Moore?” It's my secretary, Suzie. She stops by my office every single day when she’s locking up.

“Hi,” I clear my throat, cleaning the tears that had slipped past my eyes.

“Are you alright?” Her brows furrow with concern. I nod, trying on a small smile to convince her. She nods, turning around. “Have a good night, sir.”

A good night indeed.

I've just found out through an Instagram post that Tracey left Georgia and has been living in Utah with my baby, Sheila.

Yes, I wasn't doing well at the time but four years down the line, I'm the president of my own logistics company. It took the motivation of Tracey leaving to step up, but did she have to leave like that? And with my daughter?

I've not seen my daughter in four whole years. She doesn't even know who her daddy is.

Grabbing the keys to my Crosstour, I shut the laptop down and make my way to the company's exit.

I'm driving to Utah right away.

Someone stepped into my path as I slide the key to the main building out of the padlock.

Her blonde hair has been cropped to a bob, her beautiful eyes look sad, her plump frame looks like a bag of bones.

The same question I detest slips past my lips, “What're you doing here?”

A small head filled with Afro peeks from behind her. I gasp sharply, hands flying to my mouth as my Sheila comes into full view.

“Daddy?” She's unsure, large eyes staring up at me.

“Oh baby,” I open my arms out to her and she jumps right in. “Oh my baby.” Tears are running freely down my cheeks as her tiny arms clamp around my neck.

“Daddy, why didn't you ever come home? Mommy said you were always working.”

“Daddy's here now, daddy's here now.” I whisper.

Tracey shuffles close to us, fingers twirling nervously around each other. “I'm sorry I left. I was just having a hard time with the kind of life we were living. When I discovered I was having Sheila….” Her voice cracks. “I wanted to see if things would get better once we had the baby.”

She takes a deep breath, “Nothing changed.”

“Still you had no right to take her away from me like that.”

“I planned to spend a few months just to breathe, but I got this job and I…I couldn't come back home.”

The idea of coming back home makes me scoff. I couldn't go back to her family house because her mom kept pressurizing me to find their daughter and the one week old grandchild.

What was I supposed to do? I resigned from my job, took a loan and started up my own business. I slept in the office on most days, staying wide awake on the other days just to wrap my head around a breakthrough.

“Whatever you excuse is, Trace, save it for later. I'll be taking Suzie home and my lawyers would contact you regarding the next step of action.”

“Lawyers? Moore, please!”

I didn't turn around to look at her. I gathered my child up in my arms and walked away, like I said, my lawyers would handle the rest.