Kyle Greenbecker had spent a year working on an oil pipeline in Alaska, counting the days until he’d reunite with his wife, Lisa. They had been high school sweethearts, married young, and despite the distance, Kyle had always been faithful. But when his plane landed, Lisa wasn’t there.

Assuming she was delayed, Kyle went home. The house was lit but eerily quiet. On the kitchen table sat a bassinet—and inside it, a baby. Next to her was a note:

“You had your fun. Now take responsibility for your child.”

His stomach dropped. Another letter, in Lisa’s handwriting, read:

“Kyle, I found this baby on our doorstep with that note. I always suspected you cheated, but I didn’t hold it against you—I had my own fun too. But raising another woman’s baby? That’s too much. I’m filing for divorce. She’s your problem now.”

Kyle was in shock. He had never cheated. But as the baby grabbed his finger, something inside him shifted. “Well, kid,” he whispered, “it’s just us now.”

After a crash course in diaper changing and baby supplies, Kyle named her Lily and vowed to raise her.

Two years later, on Lily’s birthday, a woman knocked on his door.

“I’m here for my baby,” she said. “I left her here by mistake. Meant to drop her at my boyfriend’s house, but… oops.”

Kyle’s jaw clenched. “You abandoned her and didn’t notice for two years?”

She shrugged. “I realized it later, but now I want her back. My ex just signed a Major League contract, and I need her for… reasons.”

Kyle refused, but a week later, he was summoned to family court.

The woman—Cherish Vegas—was contesting his adoption. In court, she claimed to be a loving mother, but it became clear she only wanted Lily for financial gain.

When asked the baby’s name, Cherish stumbled.

Kyle stood. “Her name is Lily Greenbecker. She’s my daughter, and I’ve loved her since the day I found her.”

Lily spotted him and yelled, “Daddy!”

The judge smiled. “It seems Lily has made her choice.”

With that, Kyle’s adoption of Lily was confirmed.

That night, they celebrated in the backyard, catching fireflies.

“Stars!” Lily laughed.

Kyle smiled. The brightest star in his life wasn’t in the sky—it was Lily, right in front of him, calling him Daddy.