“And you brought your daughter to our date?” Camila’s voice sliced through the quiet restaurant.
Matthew felt his chest tighten. “My babysitter canceled at the last minute. I—”
“You should have told me in advance.”
Luna looked up from her coloring menu, her blue eyes wide with confusion. Matthew gently squeezed her tiny hand under the table.
“I thought we could still meet. Luna is very well-behaved, right, sweetheart?”
The little girl nodded timidly. “I’m very polite, I promise.”
Camila didn’t even glance at her.
Her eyes stayed fixed on Matthew, cold as the melting ice in her glass. “You should have been upfront from the start.”
“I was. I told you I have a daughter.”
“Claiming you have a daughter and showing up with her are two very different things, Matthew.”
A manager passed by, slowing briefly. At a nearby table, two women paused mid-conversation. Heat crawled up Matthew’s neck.
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