Written with Regret (Regret #1)

by Aly Martinez

That’s the thing about life though. It operates best on the element of surprise.

There was just me and a baby girl who had no idea the quicksand she had been born into.

And the first time she’d said “I love you, Daddy,” I’d frozen, my chest so tight that I thought there was a solid chance I was having a heart attack. Once I’d felt comfortable that I didn’t need to call an ambulance, I’d immediately gone to the bathroom, gotten in the shower, and fought back manly fucking tears in private.