Michael Sterling Reflects on Being a "Girl Dad" to Marley Rae on Her 6th Birthday

Eva Marcille's daughter had her last name legally changed to Sterling on a recent RHOA episode.

By Hannah Fusaro Jan 31, 2020, 1:44 PM ET

Photo: Eva Marcille/Instagram

Eva Marcille's husband, Michael Sterling, is a dad to three kids: sons Michael Todd Sterling Jr. (born April 2018) and Maverick (born September 2019), and stepdaughter Marley Rae. In a recent episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, we learned that Eva's daughter Marley Rae (whom she has from a previous relationship with ex Kevin McCall) was able to legally change her last name to Sterling. Following the name change, the couple shared they would now focus on Michael adopting Marley.

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Michael has always considered Marley his daughter, as he said he has been a father to Marley since she was 15 months old. And he echoed that sentiment in an Instagram post dedicated to his daughter on her 6th birthday. He reflected on being a "girl dad" to his only daughter and how Marley entering his life made Michael, an attorney, realize how important it was to "earn it everyday."

"On the East wall of our home sits an old large framed photo, courtesy of @thankfulcliff, that has on it a quote I used to inspire my staff years ago: 'Earn it Everyday.' It was what I woke up and said to myself and my staff, at the time, each and every day. 'Earn it Everyday.' I am sure they grew tired of hearing that quote. But I knew we had a tough battle ahead and I didn’t want them to get overwhelmed by the moment. If we just earned that particular day, that would be alright with me. But I also knew that days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years. If you were willing to earn each day, you could look back on what you did and how you spent that time and you would see how far you’ve come. And the enormous task that you once feared, wouldn’t seem so overwhelming. That quote never meant more to me than when Marley became a part of my life," Michael wrote.

"I knew that, with her and Eva’s trust, I had to earn each and every day. And if I fell short one day in my attempt to earn 'it', I had to get back up and earn the next. I didn’t know what I was doing. I still don’t. I’ve just tried to earn everyday. Those days have become weeks and those weeks have become months and those months have become years. Happy 6th Birthday," Michael concluded, adding the hashtag "girl dad."

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On the East wall of our home sits an old large framed photo, courtesy of @thankfulcliff, that has on it a quote I used to inspire my staff years ago: âEarn it Everyday.â It was what I woke up and said to myself and my staff, at the time, each and every day. âEarn it Everyday.â I am sure they grew tired of hearing that quote. But I knew we had a tough battle ahead and I didnât want them to get overwhelmed by the moment. If we just earned that particular day, that would be alright with me. But I also knew that days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years. If you were willing to earn each day, you could look back on what you did and how you spent that time and you would see how far youâve come. And the enormous task that you once feared, wouldnât seem so overwhelming. That quote never meant more to me than when Marley became a part of my life. I knew that, with her and Evaâs trust, I had to earn each and every day. And if I fell short one day in my attempt to earn âitâ, I had to get back up and earn the next. I didnât know what I was doing. I still donât. Iâve just tried to earn everyday. Those days have become weeks and those weeks have become months and those months have become years. Happy 6th Birthday @marleyraesterling14. #girldad #sterlingsays #thesterlings
A post shared by Michael T. Sterling (@miketsterling) on Jan 31, 2020 at 4:02am PST