A man is suspected of being the father of a baby left on his doorstep, which leads to the end of his marriage and his way of life.

Kyle Greenbecker spent a year working on an oil pipeline in Alaska, but he was finally returning home to his wife. He and Lisa met in high school, and Kyle never regretted marrying her at nineteen.

He may have been traditional, but Kyle was proud that Lisa was the only woman he had ever been with. He didn’t need anyone else and didn’t want anyone else. He never imagined Lisa would doubt his faithfulness, and for good reason.

When his plane touched down, Kyle collected his luggage and stepped out with the other passengers, looking around for Lisa’s familiar face, but she wasn’t there to meet him.

He thought she might have been held up at work due to an emergency. He sent her a quick message saying he was on his way home but received no reply. He ordered an Uber and, in an hour, arrived at his house.

The lights in the living room were on, but Lisa wasn’t there. He moved toward the kitchen and froze at the doorway. A bassinet was placed on the table, and Kyle saw a small arm waving aimlessly.

He took a step closer. There was a bassinet with a baby on his kitchen table! The child looked at Kyle with a surprised expression, and Kyle stared back in shock.

Next to the bassinet, he saw a folded note. He picked it up and unfolded it. Inside was another sheet with handwriting he didn’t recognize: “You had your fun, now take responsibility for your child.”

Meanwhile, a note to him in Lisa’s elegant handwriting read:

“Kyle, yesterday I found this child on our doorstep attached to that note. I always suspected you cheated on me during your business trips, but I didn’t hold it against you—after all, I had many flings while you were away. But being saddled with someone else’s child is too much. I’ve filed for divorce and hope I never see you again.

P.S. Don’t worry about the baby. I only left when I saw you walk up the driveway. Enjoy your life, Kyle. I plan to enjoy mine.”

Kyle sank to a chair, dropping his head into his hands. He couldn’t believe this was happening. The child wasn’t his, and he had never cheated on Lisa. A gentle coo drew his attention upward.

The baby was waving her tiny hand, and Kyle moved his finger closer. To his surprise, she grabbed his finger with remarkable strength.

“Well, little one,” Kyle said. “It looks like it’s just us two, and I don’t know what to do with you.”

The baby giggled and gurgled, then suddenly scrunched her face and turned bright red. “Oh my God!” Kyle exclaimed. “What’s happening?” A quick smell told him everything.

Yes, it was diaper changing time. But was there a diaper? Near the table, a large backpack with multiple snap pockets held items he’d never noticed before. Inside were supplies and diapers.

He quickly searched for instructions online and watched a tutorial on how to change a diaper. Following the steps carefully, he realized the doll used in the video didn’t move its legs or kick like a real baby’s, which made things more complicated.

After cleaning her up, Kyle saw that she was a girl, and he didn’t know anything about girls.

“I won’t give you dating advice,” he told her seriously, “but I can teach you how to ride a bike.”

In that moment, Kyle decided to keep the baby.

He gently picked her up and said, “You need me, and I think I need you too. So, how about it, little one?”

Kyle then searched for advice online and prepared formula for her, settling her in his arms for feeding.

“You need a name, you know. How about… Celeste? Or Lily…”

If anyone had told Kyle he’d become so comfortable with being a father, he wouldn’t have believed it. Lily had her moments and tantrums, but somehow, everything fell into place.

Kyle registered Lily as his child and enrolled her in daycare. Her birthday was considered to be the day he found her. But everything changed on her second birthday.

A woman knocked on his door. “I’ve come for my baby,” she said. Kyle looked at her. She was tall, blonde, thin, with obvious enhancements from cosmetic surgery.

“Your what?” Kyle asked.

A real parent loves and cares for their child.

“My baby,” she snapped. “I left her here two years ago. Sorry about that, I was stoned, and my boyfriend lives nearby. I got confused. You understand, right?”

Kyle responded coldly. “Sorry, I don’t understand because I’ve never abandoned a child on anyone’s doorstep. You’d better leave or I’ll call the police.”

The woman raised her voice. “I realized I made a mistake about a week later when Burt didn’t answer my calls, but now I need that baby!”

“You need her?” Kyle asked angrily. “What for?”

“Burt got a big contract,” she said. “And that baby’s going to make sure some of those millions land in my account.”

Kyle sent her away, but he sensed she wouldn’t give up easily. He was right. A week later, he was summoned to family court. A woman named Cherish Vegas was contesting his adoption of Lily.

Suddenly, Kyle faced restraining orders, social workers visiting at odd hours, and friends being questioned. Cherish was determined to get her hands on the money she believed was coming.

Finally, at the hearing, Kyle handed Lily to the social worker and entered the court. Cherish was there, crying and claiming she loved and missed her child. She said her wild college days led her to leave Lily with Kyle.

The judge looked at the papers and asked, “By ‘in his care,’ you mean on his porch, Miss Vegas?”

Cherish blushed. “I’m still her mother! No one can deny that!”

The judge turned to Burt. “You’re the father, sir?”

Burt moved to his feet. “I suppose I am…”

The judge eyed him sternly. “Are you ready to take on parental responsibilities for this child?”

Cherish yelled, “Yes! He just signed a three-million-dollar contract to play ball!”

The judge exclaimed, “Finally, the truth! Miss Vegas, what name did you give your daughter?”

“Name?” Cherish looked puzzled. “I’ll name her after her father’s last name since he’ll be paying support!”

Kyle stood. “Your honor, may I speak?”

The judge nodded. “Go ahead, Mr. Greenbecker.”

Kyle addressed the court. “My daughter’s name is Lily, and she has my last name. Since she came into my life, I’ve loved her, and she loves me.”

At that moment, Lily, who was playing nearby, saw Kyle and called out, “Daddy!” and reached out her arms.

The judge concluded, “It seems the case has been decided by the main party. I hereby revoke all custody claims of Lily and confirm Kyle Greenbecker’s custody and adoption.”

That evening, Kyle celebrated his court victory. He and Lily spent the night catching fireflies. Lily shouted, “Stars!” but for Kyle, the brightest star was his little girl.