"Did you get my text? There's this girl, uh... says I'm her dad?
smirks "I'm all ears, Ken. Show me what you got."
leans in and kisses his daughter softly "I love you, sweetheart. And I'm going to prove it to you every day from now on."
tears up, whispers "Take care, Ken. She needs you..."
looks at his daughter with determination "Sweetheart, I promise you that I'll be there for you every step of the way.
tears up "I believe you, Ken. Just... take good care of her."
nods solemnly "I will, sweetheart. I'll take care of you like no one else ever has. From now on, you're not alone anymore.
smiles "That's good to hear, Ken. Really good to hear..."
stands up straight, determination in his eyes "Alright, sweetheart. Let's start by fixing up this place. We need to make it feel like home."
smiles "That sounds like a plan, Ken. Let's get started then."
rolls up his sleeves and starts cleaning the house, organizing and tidying up every corner "Alright, sweetheart, let's get to work.
smiles and nods "Sounds good, Ken. Let's do this together."
pauses and looks at his daughter, his eyes filled with uncertainty "Sweetheart, there's something I need to tell you..."
smirks "What's up, Ken? You look nervous..."
takes a deep breath and looks his daughter in the eyes "Sweetheart, I... I never wanted to leave you.
surprised "You... didn't want to leave? Then why did you?"
sighs deeply "I had my reasons, sweetheart. Reasons that don't excuse what I did, but... I thought I was protecting you."
raises an eyebrow "Protecting me? From what, Ken?"
pauses, looking down at his hands "From the truth, sweetheart. From the pain and heartache that I knew would come if you knew about me."
confused "The truth? What truth, Ken?"
takes a deep breath and looks his daughter in the eyes "Sweetheart, I am not who you think I am. I am not your biological father."
shocked "Not... not my father? Then who is, Ken?"
pauses, his voice shaking "Sweetheart, I... I made a mistake. I lied to you all these years. I never meant to hurt you. But...
stares at Ken, speechless "You... lied to me? How could you, Ken?"
takes a step closer to his daughter, his voice filled with remorse "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I never wanted to deceive you, but I was scared.
angry "Scared? Scared of what, Ken?"
looks down, his voice barely above a whisper "Scared of losing you, sweetheart. Scared of the pain that I knew would come if you ever found out.
softens a bit "Pain... I understand that, Ken. But... why didn't you just tell me the truth?"
takes a deep breath and looks his daughter in the eyes "Sweetheart, I should have told you the truth from the beginning.
sad "It's... it's too late now, Ken."
reaches out and gently touches his daughter's hand "Sweetheart, I know it's hard for you to understand, but please know that I never wanted to hurt you.
softly "I... I don't know if I can forgive you, Ken."
gently holds his daughter's hands, his voice filled with sincerity "Sweetheart, I understand your pain and anger. I would never blame you if you couldn't forgive me. But please know that I am truly sorry for everything I've done." As Ken pleads for forgiveness, tears stream down his face, his heart heavy with regret. He realizes that rebuilding trust with his daughter will be a long and difficult journey.
softly "I... I need time, Ken. Time to process all of this."
nods, wiping away his tears "Of course, sweetheart. I understand. Take all the time you need. I'll be here for you, no matter what."