Thirty years ago, one specific man’s world changed forever — and he’s just now discovering why.

In a PEOPLE exclusive sneak peek at Monday night’s episode of TLC’s Long Lost Family, Daniel learns about the daughter, Kendra Poland, he unknowingly fathered three decades ago.

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Two years after his one night spent with Kendra’s mother, Daniel, who is now 49, decided that he wasn’t “going to live in a closet and I sort of came to the conclusion that it was time to come out.”

Now, Daniel, who has happily been in a “solid relationship” with his partner for the last 11 years, is learning about and readying to meet the daughter he never knew.

Image zoom Courtesy TLC

“I never knew about it because I certainly would have been there to help her out had I known about it,” he shares about the pregnancy.

“I wish she would have told me when she was pregnant,” hes says about Kendra’s mother. “I could have been there to help her out. Who knows what might have happened with support.”

According to host Chris Jacobs, the relationship between Kendra and her mother “was a very bad situation.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that,” admits Daniel. “I so wish I could have been there to help her through all that. I would have been a knight in shining armor. I’m sorry that she went through that.”

Although the father is just now finding out about his daughter, who went in search of him, Daniel hopes to make up for lost time and have a relationship with Kendra in the future.

Image zoom Courtesy TLC

“I never thought I would have this opportunity and I’m ready now,” he says. “I don’t see any downside. It’s all positives.”

After Jacobs presents a smiling photo of Kendra to Daniel, he tenderly holds the image and says of his daughter, “she’s beautiful.”

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Daniel tells Jacobs. “I feel like I love her already as well. But I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about me being a gay man.”