After a year working an oil pipeline in Alaska, Kyle Greenbecker was finally heading home to his wife, Lisa. Married since high school, Kyle had always been faithful—so he was blindsided by what awaited him.
When he entered their house, there was no greeting awaiting him—just a bassinet on the kitchen table, and inside, a newborn baby waving its tiny arm.
A note in unfamiliar handwriting rested beside the crib: “You had your fun; now take responsibility for your child.” Another, in Lisa’s script, delivered the final blow:
“Kyle, this baby appeared at our doorstep yesterday with that note. I always suspected you cheated while away—but I didn’t hold it against you, since I also had my flings. But abandoning someone else’s baby with me is too much. I’ve filed for divorce. I hope I never see you again. P.S. I left only when I saw you walk up the drive. Enjoy your life—I intend to enjoy mine.“
Kyle sank under the weight of the words. He’d never strayed. Panic gave way to the tiny coo of the infant. Her little hand curled around his finger with surprising strength.
He tried to collect himself. It was diaper-changing time—he Googled a tutorial, struggled, and cleaned up the little girl. She wasn’t his—but he decided she needed him, and he needed her. “Need a name?” he asked gently. “How about Lily?”
Over the months, Lily became his world. He legally adopted her, and they became a true father–daughter team. But two years later, chaos struck again.
A glamorous woman knocked and demanded her baby back—claiming she’d left Lily behind in a moment of temporary confusion. She and a man with Lily’s eyes contended it was all a mistake.
In family court, the judge confronted them: “You left her on his porch, didn’t you?” Chastened and out of excuses, the woman faltered. The man hesitated—then admitted he was indeed Lily’s father.
Kyle leaned forward. “Your honor,” he began, “she calls me ‘Daddy.’ Since the moment she arrived, I’ve loved her wholly.”
Lily toddled forward and grasped his leg, whispering “Daddy.”
The judge nodded: custody remained with Kyle.
That night, father and daughter played in the backyard. “Stars!” Lily giggled. For Kyle, she was the brightest star he’d ever known.
