Twenty-Five Years later

Years ago, I was working on the other coast and had a relationship and I asked her to marry me, and she said No. Anyway, I was leaving to return home hence the proposal and after the rejection we parted. I returned home and went on with my life and done very well, never married, but had a few relationships. Last March I (50) was home as I'm usually these days and a car pulled up and a young woman got and came to my door. Asked if I was me and I said yes, and she said she was my daughter 24. I said I never knew I'd a daughter and she said she already knew that. Her mother was pregnant when we parted and already knew it at the time of our parting. But she wasn't ready to marry or be tied to another person and that's why she rejected my proposal. Didn't mention being pregnant thinking I would insist on us marrying. So, she had our daughter and raised her by herself and hadn't married or told anyone who her daughter father was. Only on the death of her mother did she find out who her father was and as I've an uncommon name it wasn't that hard to track me down. Lucky for her she got her looks from her mother, I was in shock and the best thing I could think of at the time was offering a room to stay in while got to know each other better. She accepted and is still with me now, she has a job and we're happy finally knowing each other. My only regret is all the years I've missed knowing her.