Kyle Greenbecker had spent a year working on an oil pipeline in Alaska, and finally, he was on his way home to his wife, Lisa. They had been together since high school, and Kyle had always been proud of their relationship. Lisa was the only woman he had ever been with, and he never doubted her loyalty—or his own.
When his plane landed, Kyle eagerly scanned the crowd for Lisa’s face, but she wasn’t there to greet him. He figured she might have been held up at work, so he sent her a quick text and hopped into an Uber. An hour later, he walked up to his front door, excited to finally be home.
The house was quiet, but the lights were on. Kyle made his way to the kitchen and froze in the doorway. There, on the kitchen table, was a bassinet. Inside, a tiny baby waved its arms aimlessly. Kyle stared in shock, his mind racing.
Next to the bassinet were two notes. The first, written in unfamiliar handwriting, read: “You had your fun, now take responsibility for your child.” The second note was from Lisa. Her elegant script cut through him like a knife:
“Kyle, yesterday I found this child on our doorstep with that note attached. I always suspected you cheated on me during your business trips, but I didn’t hold a grudge—after all, I had plenty of flings while you were away. But saddling me with someone else’s child is too much. I’ve filed for divorce, and I hope I never see you again.
P.S. Don’t worry about the baby. I only left when I saw you walk up the drive. Enjoy your life, Kyle. I certainly intend to enjoy mine.”
Kyle sank into a chair, his head in his hands. This couldn’t be happening. He had never cheated on Lisa—not once. The baby wasn’t his. But as he sat there, the baby cooed, drawing his attention. She reached out, and Kyle instinctively offered his finger. The baby grabbed it with surprising strength.
“Well, kid,” Kyle said softly, “I guess it’s just you and me now.”
The baby gurgled, then scrunched up her face and turned red. A moment later, Kyle realized why—it was diaper time. He found a backpack filled with baby supplies and turned to YouTube for a crash course in diaper changing. It wasn’t easy, but he managed.
As he held the baby in his arms, feeding her a bottle, Kyle realized something: he couldn’t abandon her. She needed him, and in a way, he needed her too. He decided to name her Lily and officially registered her as his daughter.
Over the next two years, Kyle settled into fatherhood. Lily had her moments—tantrums, sleepless nights, and endless questions—but Kyle loved her fiercely. He enrolled her in daycare and celebrated her birthday on the day he had found her.
Then, on Lily’s second birthday, everything changed. A woman knocked on Kyle’s door. She was tall, blonde, and dressed in flashy clothes. “I’ve come for my baby,” she announced.
Kyle stared at her in disbelief. “Your what?”
“My baby,” she snapped. “I left her here two years ago. I was a bit stoned, and my boyfriend lives on the next block. I got confused, okay?”
Kyle’s jaw tightened. “You abandoned a child on my doorstep, and now you think you can just take her back?”
The woman, Cherish Vegas, didn’t back down. “Look, my boyfriend just signed a Major League contract. That baby’s going to make sure some of those millions land in my bank account.”
Kyle slammed the door in her face, but he knew this wasn’t over. A week later, he was summoned to family court. Cherish was contesting his custody of Lily, and she had brought Burt, the alleged father, with her.
In court, Cherish cried and pleaded, claiming she had made a mistake and deeply regretted leaving Lily. Burt, a towering man with Lily’s blue eyes, mumbled that he “must be” the father.
The judge wasn’t impressed. “Miss Vegas,” she said sternly, “you left this child on a stranger’s doorstep. And now you’re here because you see her as a paycheck?”
Kyle stood up. “Your honor, my daughter’s name is Lily, and she has her father’s name—mine. I’ve loved her since the moment she came into my life, and she loves me.”
As if on cue, Lily, who had been playing with a social worker, spotted Kyle. “Daddy!” she cried, reaching out for him.
The judge smiled. “It seems the case has been decided by the principal party. I hereby confirm Kyle Greenbecker’s custody and adoption of Lily.”
That night, Kyle and Lily celebrated by catching lightning bugs in the garden. “Stars!” Lily exclaimed, pointing at the glowing insects. For Kyle, the brightest star of all was his little girl.
