If you were wondering if the Fire Country writers were going to make us wait until the season 2 finale to learn if Genevieve is Bode's daughter, rest easy because that's not the case. We get our answer in episode 6, "Alert the Sheriff," which takes place sometime after her mother Cara had been laid to rest.
Vince and Sharon have custody of the preteen thanks to a court order that's made them her custodial guardians since, at the start of the episode, they're waiting for the paternity test to confirm she's Bode's. However, it turns out that she's not. Sharon gets the results while she, Mickey, Vince, Jake, Gabriela, and Gen are watching the latter's science fair project erupt.
It's disappointing news but, despite Three Rock being on lockdown due to an inmate escaping earlier in the episode, they're able to deliver it in-person themselves thanks to his Aunt Mickey pulling some strings. Though it's clear all three Leones are heartbroken to find out Genevieve isn't Bode's biologically, they do intend on raising her as their own.
Cara told Bode that she wanted her daughter surrounded by good people, and Genevieve living with Sharon and Vince until Bode gets out and can assume custody would fulfill her wish. However, given Jordan Calloway's insights on what's next for Cara's fiancé, Jake Crawford, it might not be as easy as they think.
When telling Bode the news, it was explained that guardianship of Genevieve isn't dependent on blood relation. A ruling would be made based on whoever has the child's best interests at heart. Gen might change her mind about living with the Leones once she learns that they aren't related.
If custody can go to someone who she doesn't share blood with then it's quite possible that she could want Jake to raise her. Had Cara not died that's what would have happened since he intended on marrying her and starting a family together. Calloway spoke to this in our interview:
"The thing about Genevieve is that he sees all of the best qualities of Cara in her and that's haunting for him as well. It's a constant reminder of what he wanted but never could have but, at the same time, he is grateful for having loved and lost than to never have loved. He did get that with Cara but, as it pertains to after dealing with [her loss], his sole focus is Genevieve. She becomes his main priority. That's who he feels Cara entrusted to him because he was going to [marry her] and eventually have a family with her. I'm excited to see the later episodes that come out because it does get a little heated."
As has been quite clear throughout season 2, Jake and Gen have a familial bond separate from their respective relationships with Cara, that didn't go away when she passed.
The heated exchanges the Fire Country star is referring to likely won't be in a full on custody battle but that doesn't mean there won't be sharp conversations about who Genevieve should be raised by and why. Like Calloway, I'm excited to see what unfolds in the coming episodes as this storyline evolves.
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