I'm still hurt.

So, I'm a single mom to a 7 year old girl, her father was absent her entire life up until January of this year. Btw I've never prohibited him from being in her life. In the past I never talked about him because I didn't want to hurt her, so she didn't even know he existed. Last year I had left my ex husband and I had to explain to her that he wasn't gonna be around anymore. She was upset and was questioning me who her father is. She asked almost everyday for like 3 months if she can meet him. I felt horrible because it got to the point where she said "mom, even if he doesn't want to be my dad and never wants see to me again, I'm not gonna be mad or sad, I just want to see him at least one time ". So in December of last year, I found him on Facebook and messaged him what my daughter said and he was replied "Ok I'll meet with her" & we arranged to meet. Mind you on the way there, she was telling me that all she wants to ask him is why he never looked for her and if he doesn't want to tell her that it's ok. So we met up at the park and they saw eachother. My daughter asked him if he can push her on the swing. I sat on the bench in the front of the swingset. She didn't ask what she what she had told me in the car, rather she was asking him questions about himself such as what's his favorite food, color, if he's right or left handed,etc. They talked, took turns going down the slide, built a sand castle and asked eachother questions that entire afternoon. Later that night, he called me on messenger and was sobbing asking me to forgive him for leaving me a child to raise by myself all these years, that the guilty has been eating him up several years but thought I would never let him see her, that she's beautiful and that I did a wonderful job with her. & that he would like the opportunity to be in her life. I gave him that chance & ever since then he's been around and my daughter talks about him all the time. She She has been sleepover his family's house on everyother weekend for the past 3 months. She's been so happy, which I'm happy for her. But when she goes with for the weekend, I cry because I miss her. I can't help it even though I try not to think about this, but I am still very much hurt that I had to struggle for years raising her by myself. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2GwoEY8