I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 421

Zoe wanted to check on Lily, but she was afraid Hayden would misinterpret it as her seeking him out.

Regardless of their issues, they were still father and daughter. She figured Hayden wouldn't do anything to upset Lily while they were at Thorne Manor.

Back in her room, Lily watched as Hayden set her down. The desk was scattered with colorful strips of paper.

"Are you really going to help me?"

She asked skeptically. He had never done anything like this for her before.

Hayden sat on the floor, his towering frame looking imposing yet surprisingly gentle in front of the little girl.

His expression softened. The warm lighting smoothed out the harsh, sharp angles of his face.

"Is this homework from your teacher?"

Looking at the massive pile of paper strips, it seemed like a daunting task.

Lily ignored the question and shoved a piece of paper into his massive hand, proceeding to instruct him with absolute seriousness.

"You fold it over like this, then fold it in half, then like this, and then like this. Got it?"

Hayden stared down at the tiny, intricate paper star resting in his palm. His hands were rough, calloused from years of intense military training, making the delicate little star look entirely out of place.

Hayden reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Alright, go to bed. I'll take care of this."

He lifted her up and set her on his shoulders. Lily giggled with excitement but quickly pouted as she looked down at him.

This was her dad. Why did it feel so anticlimactic?

"I'm going to sleep now. You have to fill the whole jar, okay?"

Lily made an exaggerated gesture. Hayden carefully tucked her into bed, and she drifted off to sleep with a sense of security.

Hayden stood by her bed, staring down at her for a long time. In his mind, her face perfectly overlapped with Zoe's.

The mother and daughter looked astonishingly alike, but in Lily's fleeting expressions, he could still see traces of himself.

Something deep within his chest stirred. He leaned down, pressed a soft goodnight kiss to his daughter's forehead, and dimmed the bedside lamp. Sitting back down beside her, he meticulously began folding the tiny paper stars.

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