WHO’S YOUR DADDY?

By Maria Ferrer

Daddies make the best Heroes -- strong, powerful men who are reduced to marshmallows at the hands of a child. I wanted my Hero to such a man.

In FULL-TIME DAD, my secret baby book, my hero Rafael Quintero is livid when he learns that Jessenia Ruiz had his child and never told him. At first, he denounces the child, but one look at the boy and he knows it’s his. Rafael demands to be a part of the child’s life, but as Jessenia points out, they live in Connecticut and he lives in California. If Rafael, really wants to be a father then he needs to think of his son’s best interests and the boy does not need a long-distance dad.

Rafael agrees – a long-distance relationship is not fair to the boy and so he leaves. Jessenia is ecstatic. Rafael is gone; her world is back to normal, and the feel of pending doom dissipates, until Rafael moves into her house three months later to be a full-time dad.

As Rafael gets to know his child so Jessenia gets to know Rafael and she can’t help but fall for Rafael, the Father. He is clueless about dressing a child (we are not farmers so suspenders are out.); feeding a child (anything green is a no-no, so is anything red.); television shows (Sponge Bob is king.); and games (soccer beats football and baseball any day of the week).

Rafael is patient, loving and eager to get to know his son. He muscles his way into the parent-teacher conferences; insists on going to doctor appointments; and willingly sits through eight re-runs of “Nemo.” Jessenia can see the love in Rafael’s eyes when he looks at their son; a love reflected in her son’s eyes.

The only problem is that Jessenia can accept the father, but not the man. Jessenia learns to share her son with his father, but she draws the line at her bed. She wants a man who wants her, the woman, not her, the mother. And, if all Rafael wants is his son, then that is all he gets.

A marriage of convenience is out of the question. Isn’t it?♥



Maria C. Ferrer loves Daddies, determined heroes, and secret baby books. She is working on the final revisions to FULL-TIME DAD, and a second secret baby book starting a soccer coach and 8-year old twins, who run him ragged.



TOMORROW:   Do stop by tomorrow and meet Jennifer McAndrews' hero.