The sound of wedding plans filled the air at Jey and Natalia's house as the two of them sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by wedding magazines and half-written notes. They had been deep into planning for the past few weeks, and every moment felt more real than the last. The colors were chosen, the venue was booked, and their families were already buzzing with excitement.

Jey leaned back in his chair, staring at the notebook in front of him, but his mind wasn't really on the details. He was more focused on the fact that soon, he'd be standing beside Natalia, taking that step with her in front of everyone who mattered to them.

"Babe, what do you think of this for the centerpieces?" Natalia asked, holding up a photo of tall glass vases filled with white flowers.

Jey glanced at it quickly before shaking his head. "We need somethin' a little more... poppin', don't you think? We're not doin' something this plain."

She chuckled. "Alright, we'll think about it."

Jey grinned, his thoughts back on her, but then his phone vibrated across the table. His gaze flickered to the screen as his heart sank.

It was a number he didn't recognize.

"Everything okay?" Natalia asked, noticing the change in his expression.

Jey's fingers hovered over the phone. He felt the unease settling deep in his chest but answered anyway. "Yeah... just need to take this."

He stepped away from the table, walking into the living room before swiping to answer. "Hello?"

A familiar voice-too familiar-came through on the other end.

"Jey? It's Alexis."

Jey's stomach dropped. Alexis. One of the women he'd known before everything with Natalia, before his focus shifted from the past to the present. The woman he had never quite let go of, even if they'd never made it work. He hadn't heard from her in years.

"Alexis? What-what's up?" His voice was cautious, wary.

"I need to talk to you," she said, her voice tense. "It's important."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What's goin' on?"

"I've been meaning to reach out for a while now... and, I didn't know how to say this, but..." Alexis paused, as if collecting her thoughts. "I have a daughter, Jey. And she's yours."

The world stopped moving for a moment.

Jey's breath hitched. "What? No... that can't be right."

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you sooner," she continued. "But she's five now, and... she looks just like you. She has your eyes, your features. And, I-I've been trying to raise her on my own, but I need you to see her. You need to meet her. She deserves to know who her father is."

Jey's heart was racing. He felt like someone had just sucker-punched him. His mind flashed back to when he first found out about Malachi, and how everything had changed in an instant. How everything was different.

And now, another child? Another daughter?

His thoughts turned to Malachi. The way he had Jey's eyes, the same mischievous grin. And now, this girl-Alexis' daughter-was supposedly the same.

Jey's head spun. "Look, I-uh... I need to think. I can't-"

"I know this is a lot, Jey. But please, I'm asking you. Come see her. Please." Alexis' voice softened, pleading. "Just once. For me, for her. I'm not asking for anything else."

Jey stood there, frozen for a moment. His thoughts collided, one after the other, faster than he could process. He needed answers, but the first one that hit him was that undeniable truth. The girl looked like him. She looked just like Malachi, and damn it, that meant something.

"Fine," Jey said, his voice hard. "I'll come see her. But not today. I'll call you when I'm ready."

Alexis sighed in relief. "Thank you, Jey. I know it's a lot to ask, but I promise you... she's your daughter."

The line went quiet as Jey ended the call. His mind buzzed with a thousand questions, but one was screaming louder than the rest.

Was this real?

He could already feel the tension between him and Natalia. She'd never asked him about his past relationships, but the moment he told her about Alexis-about this new claim of a daughter-he knew everything was about to change.

Walking back to the kitchen, Jey rubbed his face, trying to shake the heaviness off.

Natalia was still sitting at the table, the same soft smile on her face, but as she saw the look in his eyes, the worry crept in. "Jey? What's wrong?"

He sighed, his shoulders heavy. "I-uh, I just heard from Alexis. She... she's claiming she has a daughter. And, uh... she says the kid is mine."

Natalia's eyes widened, and for a moment, there was only silence. The words felt like they were stuck in the air, thick with uncertainty.

"What? Wait... what do you mean, she says the kid is yours?"

Jey took a seat beside her, his hands running through his hair. "She says the kid looks just like Malachi. She's five. I don't know, Nat... it's a lot to take in."

Natalia was quiet for a beat, and Jey could almost feel the weight of her thoughts. She finally looked at him, her gaze soft but guarded. "So, what are you gonna do?"

Jey's eyes were distant, a storm brewing inside him. "I'm gonna meet her. I have to. I need to know if it's true."

Her face was unreadable for a moment, but then, she exhaled slowly. "You do what you need to do. But, Jey..." She paused, placing a hand on his arm. "Just remember, you and Malachi, you've built something real. Don't let anything make you forget that."

Jey nodded, his throat tight. He wanted to believe this was just a mix-up, that Alexis was wrong. But the truth was, there was a part of him that wanted to see for himself.

The past had a funny way of coming back, whether you were ready or not. And now, Jey was about to face it head-on-whether he liked it or not.