Julian had just gotten to sleep after putting his little girl to bed. It had been one month since Eve had left their child on his doorstep. He still didn’t know what was going on through Eve’s head and why she would do such a thing. It didn’t make sense, but what he did know was that he loved his daughter…more than anything in the world, and was happy and blessed to have her.
---

The first few weeks he had offered to pay Pilar to stay with him in the mansion and help him care for the infant, but she declined. She told him that he didn’t have to give her anything, that it would’ve been her pleasure at helping him with his daughter. He learned how to hold her right, and how to cradle her little head and body, and when to feed her. Julian even learned a few lullabies to sing for little Jordan Crane.

He could remember that first week with her. Julian bought everything he laid eyes on that was related to babies.

“Uh, miss?”

“Yes, sir, may I help you?” the store worker asked.

“I have a baby at home, and I need to buy her diapers, but how do I know which ones to buy her,” he picked up a package, “You see this one has 3 on it…what does that mean?”

“Ohh, that; it means three months…how old is your baby?” she looked to him.

“Umm, only a few days old, I believe.” Julian gave her a confused look.

“I see, well then you’ll need these,” she handed him a package of diapers for newborns.

“Oh, so should I just get one package a month?” he asked seriously.

“Sir, you’re joking, right? Babies go through diapers like…like; they just go through diapers. You’re going to have to buy packages every week.”

Julian pulled out a pen and pad and began writing down what the girl was telling him.

“Uh, what about the little paper towels, you know the ones that are sort of wet?”

“Baby wipes? Yes, they’re right over there,” she led him over to the stack of plastic containers full of wipes.

Pilar stood there with her mouth open as Julian strode in smiling with a stroller, carrier, packages of diapers, wipes, bottles, baby formula, clothes, little sunglasses (Jordan was obviously too young to wear)…

“Went all out, huh?” she smiled.

“This isn’t even all of it,” he turned around and came back minutes later with other items.

A decorator then entered.

“Yes, all of you follow me,” Julian spoke to the workers as he walked up the stairs, “The new nursery will be up here.”

Everyone had a box of some sort of baby item…from a crib to a changing table, a bassinet, dresser…to everything for a baby.
---

Julian had just put her down to sleep, and was about to put himself down to sleep for the night. He had just closed his eyes when little Jordan started testing her lungs.

“Ohhh, no, not again!” he grunted as he rolled out of bed, “It’s two in the morning, Jordan…daddy needs some sleep for work,” he shouted, but she just kept crying, “I’m coming sweetie,” he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

Julian rushed to the kitchen and heated up a bottle, and squeezed some formula out on his wrist as Pilar had taught him.

“OW! Mother…” he ran his arm under cool water.

He then let the bottle cool down, and tested it again, and it was just right. Julian ran back upstairs and then opened the door to his little girl’s room, which was decorated with the theme of “Noah’s Ark”. He set the bottle down and picked up his daughter, and just in his arms, she stopped crying and drifted off to sleep. Julian watched and smiled at how she smacked her lips and made little baby noises as she slept in his arms.

“Eve, I don’t know how you could’ve given up someone as special as this,” he shook his head and kissed the tip of Jordan’s nose.

Julian vowed from then on that he would take good care of Jordan; without the help of another woman.
---

Jordan was now six months and Julian had placed her in her highchair to feed her. He opened the jar of spinach and made a face when he smelled the stench coming from it.

“Let’s see if you’ll like this,” he spooned some and tried to feed her it.

But she didn’t open wide; she just kept her lips shut.

“Come on, Jordan…look, daddy’s going to try some,” Julian shoved the spoon in his mouth, but then spit the contents out on the floor.

Little Jordan giggled and tapped the table with her hands.

“You think that’s funny, don’t you,” he tickled her under her chin, “Don’t you,” he cooed.
---

It had been nine months now that Julian had his daughter.

“Come on, Jordan…‘da-da’, say, ‘da-da,’” he enunciated the syllables.

Jordan just gave him a hard look, or was it even him she was giving the look to? She had a look as if she’d been thinking about something; her eyebrows were wrinkled…but Julian knew that look.

“Aww, J, not now,” he laughed as he let her continue, “Here you go, you might need this,” he handed her the newspaper and continued to chuckle.

After Julian changed her, he sat down in the rocking chair in her room and cradled her in his arms. Both father and daughter fell asleep.

“How are my precious babies?” Eve walked into the room and placed her medical bag down on the dresser.

Julian awoke and smiled up at Eve as she took Jordan out of his arms.

“Was she good today?” she asked as she kissed her baby on the head.

“You know she’s always good,” Julian stood and touched Jordan’s little arm.

“And how about my other baby?” Eve asked as she leaned towards Julian and kissed him.

He pulled her close to him, but made sure not to squish the baby.

“Eve,” he moaned, “I need you, Eve…”

“Eve!” Julian yelled as he woke up and looked around the room for her, but she wasn’t there; it was still him and his little girl…all alone.
---

Three years passed and Julian was getting ready to go into the office. He ran down the stairs and there by the front door, Jordan was waiting for him with her little briefcase.

“Ready for work, daddy,” the little blonde girl smiled.

“I see that,” Julian smiled and grabbed his briefcase and opened the door for both of them.

He buckled her in her booster seat and then got himself situated in the driver’s seat. He fixed the rear view mirror and then backed out of the drive way and then drove forward when he got onto the street.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, princess,” he looked in the rear view mirror at her.

“Play at L.J.'s house?”

“I don’t know, honey…we’ll have to ask your Aunt Sheridan if you can play with Luis Jr.”

Speaking of Sheridan, Jordan looked just like she did when she was younger. Her complexion was just like Sheridan’s, and her hair was blonde like her aunt’s, but her eyes…they were brown with almost a hint of green, just like Eve’s. Every once in a while, Julian could see her in his little girl.
---

Jordan was now four, and she went everywhere with her father: to the office, to the supermarket, out when Julian had his dates, which wasn’t that much, and she tagged along with her father when he attended church. The first time he entered with her was when she was two, and everyone knew who her mother was. They looked to Julian with shame. How dare he bring the product of an affair that had cost the life of their pastor? But Julian took care of their problem real fast, and everyone straightened up and accepted father and daughter. No one ever thought of that tragic day ever again.

Julian now held Jordan’s hand as they arrived home and walked into the mansion.

“Julian, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” Pilar came out of the kitchen.

“Pee-lar,” Jordan screamed as she ran to the Hispanic woman and hugged her.

“Ay, que linda,” she bent down and kissed Jordan’s cheek.

“Why, Pilar? What’s going on?” Julian set down his Bible on the counter.

“They’ve been calling…they need you in Los Angeles by the end of the week.” She said as she picked up Jordan and was now carrying her.

“Okay, thank you, Pilar,” he said and walked to the library to make arrangements for his stay in Los Angeles.