GIA

For a long moment, Georgia said nothing, studying him with that same unyielding look. When she finally spoke again, her voice was tinged with something sharper. "Where were you all these while? Why haven't you been here with us?"

George's breath again caught in his throat. He'd expected questions, but not the kind that cut this deeply. He tried to find the right words, but each one seemed too flimsy, too inadequate for the maturity and level of intelligence Georgia was displaying. 

"I… I didn't know, Georgia," he began slowly in a voice rough with emotion. "I didn't know you existed. If I had… if I'd known, I would have been here sooner. I promise you that."

Georgia looked unconvinced, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest. "That's what grown-ups always say. But it doesn't change anything, does it?" She turned her gaze to her mother, her expression almost defiant. "Why do I have to meet him now?"