3
Emery raised her hand to knock on the door, an unexpected flutter of nerves dancing in her stomach. Before she could tap, the door swung open.
Levi stood there, kicking aside a pile of little pink shoes with an almost forced half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Uh. Come on in,” he said, stepping aside.
Inside, the house looked lived in. Not tidy, but clean. A stack of books was piled sloppily on the end table, and a basket of laundry overflowed onto the couch. Not a Pinterest-perfect place by any means, but comfortable. It felt like a home that held love and stories and memories.
“Daddy! Daddy! Who’s here?” June’s voice rang out from around the corner with a burst of energy, excited and curious.
She skidded to a stop when she spotted Emery, giving her a quick once-over, eyes wide.
Levi cleared his throat, suddenly unsure how to introduce Emery. “This is… uh…”
June interrupted. “Why are you here? My dad says he doesn’t even know why you’re here.”
Levi shifted awkwardly, cheeks flushing. Emery jumped in smoothly, “My name is Emery, I’m just here to help with some extra chores, so your dad doesn’t have to do so much and can spend more time playing with you.”
June’s face lit up, satisfied with that answer.
“Wanna come see my room? I’ve got the coolest toys,” she said, grabbing Emery’s hand.
Levi hung back, making a mental note that his daughter wasn’t exactly helping him look like less of an ass. He began to second-guess their trial agreement, but before he could think any more about it, a loud dump of the toy bucket echoed from down the hallway.
Levi started up the stairs, walking toward the sound, stopping just inside June's bedroom doorway.
“We should clean up the toys we’re playing with before moving on, okay?” Emery said gently.
June’s face scrunched into a pout, the first flicker of protest flashing in her eyes.
Before Levi could step in, Emery smiled and negotiated quietly, offering to help so they could get it done quicker. Slowly, June’s pout softened, and then she nodded.
Levi crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, impressed by how smoothly Emery handled the situation, no meltdown, no tears, just calm and clear boundaries.
He pushed off the frame and folded his arms. “Emery, why don’t you stay for dinner? I’ll go get started.”
Emery glanced at June, who was happily moving to help put away toys. “Dinner sounds great.”
June excitedly showed Emery her expansive stuffed animal collection that was taking up most of her small bed, telling her each one's name as she went.
After she was finished, Emery stood, telling June, “Why don't you wash your hands up for dinner.
I'm going to see if your dad wants any help, and I'll meet you at the table for dinner.”
The kitchen was small, but functional. Aged whitewashed wood cabinets, thick wooden butcher-block-style countertops, and a basic and well-used coffee maker shoved into the corner.
A row of cast-iron skillets hung from the wall above the stove, blackened and seasoned from years of use.
Emery leaned against the counter, taking in the space.
It was simple, but it felt real. Lived in.
Opening the freezer, Levi grabbed a couple of frozen burger patties, dropping them into a preheated skillet with a sharp sizzle. Then reached for a box of princess-shaped macaroni and dumped it into a pot of water that hadn’t quite started to boil.
“It’s nothing fancy,” Levi said, almost defensively. “But according to June, it makes a big difference if the noodles are princess-shaped. Apparently, they taste better.”
He crossed his arms and stared at the pot like it had personally offended him for not boiling faster.
“Honestly, this smells great. It’s perfect.”
He glanced at her, suspicious of the compliment, but said nothing. June climbed into a chair at the table and was sitting cross-legged, happily drawing something on the back of a grocery receipt with a pink crayon.
“Are you a real babysitter?” June asked, looking up at Emery.
Levi sighed. “June—”
“It’s fine,” Emery said gently, turning toward her. “Nope, not a real babysitter. Just someone good at helping.”
June grinned. “I like helpers. My daddy does everything.”
Levi opened his mouth, then shut it, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’ve always done it on my own,” he muttered. “Didn’t have much of a choice. And… It's just hard to trust someone else to look after her.
Levi flipped the finished burgers onto plates, poured the princess macaroni into a strainer, and silently dished out food without any fanfare.
He set plates on the table with a third for himself and handed out forks. No napkins, no extra sides, just a shared box of mac-and-cheese, a quick burger, and a trace of tension still hanging in the air.
They ate in silence for a moment; the only sound was the soft clinking of their forks.
Levi didn’t say anything right away. He took a bite, chewed, and swallowed.
“Listen,” he said finally, still not meeting her eyes, “I don’t hand my kid off to just anyone. I’m not great at… trusting, or letting people in, or asking for help.”
“I get it. You’re not a burden, Levi. And I don’t expect trust overnight. I’m just here to help where I can.” Emery responded, her voice soft but sure.
Levi looked at her—his eyes, dancing over her face. His expression softened for the briefest moment before he turned his attention back to his food and scarfed the rest of the food from his plate like a starving man who hadn't eaten all day.
Levi glanced at the clock and stood. “I’ve got to run out for a minute; got a calf in the barn I’ve been keeping an eye on. It shouldn’t be long. You good here?”
Emery gave a small salute. “We’re good.”
By the time Levi came back in, brushing hay off his sleeves, he paused at the doorway to the kitchen. The scene that met him stopped him in his tracks.
June was spinning in little barefoot circles, singing an off-key version of a song he didn’t recognize.
Emery was standing at the sink, rinsing the last of the dishes, phone propped up nearby, playing music.
She was laughing at something June had said, her shoulders relaxed, her hair now messier than it was earlier, a few loose waves falling from her bun.
Levi stood there for a long second, arms crossing out of habit, the tension in his chest shifting into something unfamiliar, something warmer. Maybe this wasn’t going to be a disaster after all.
Emery had said goodnight to June, and Levi had taken her upstairs to tuck her into bed, the porch creaking softly as Emery came down the steps.
Levi stood at the edge, with one hand resting on the rail, watching her cross the gravel drive to her car.
The porch light caught the loose pieces of her dark hair, reflecting a warm auburn hue.
She didn’t look back as she slid into the driver’s seat, just gave a short wave through the window and backed out slowly, tires crunching as she disappeared down the long drive toward the road.
Stepping back into the house, Levi exhaled through his nose and closed the door behind him.
The house immediately felt too quiet. The kind of quiet that quickly reminded him that he had been doing it alone for too long.
He moved through the kitchen on autopilot, pushing the stack of unsorted mail on the counter into a slightly neater pile that he still had no plans of going through. The dishes were done. June was in bed. And for once, he wouldn't have to stay up later to finish everything himself.
He didn’t know how to feel about that.
He walked to June’s room and peeked in one more time. She was still fast asleep, her wild hair splayed across her pillow, her current favorite stuffed unicorn tucked under one arm. The book Emery had read to her was still lying open on the floor next to the bed.
He snuck in and picked it up, flipping briefly through the pages, noticing a tiny crayon doodle tucked into the corner of one. Probably June, trying to personalize it.
Back in the living room, Levi sat down on the couch, sinking deeper than he expected. He rubbed a hand over his face and let his head fall back against the cushion, staring at the ceiling.
This whole arrangement? It had felt like a bad idea the second he opened the door to Emery standing there.
Her messy hair and big, dark—but still warm—eyes, and not a single ounce of hesitation.
But she hadn’t run for the hills. She handled June like she’d known her for years.
She didn’t flinch at his gruffness. Hell, she barely blinked when he was rude.
And she did the dishes. Without being asked. It wasn’t just that she’d helped. It was how easily she’d fit right in, how effortlessly she slipped into a space he hadn’t even realized was so empty until she was there filling it.
Levi sat in the quiet for a long while, one leg bouncing slightly, arms folded across his chest in a posture that looked like comfort but was really his armor.
He didn’t know what all of Emery’s story was. Why she’d come to town, or why she seemed to understand what it felt like to be completely worn out and still trying to do right by someone. But somehow, she just seemed to get it.
And that scared the hell out of him.
He eventually stood and pushed off the couch with a grunt and turned off the lights one by one, moving through the house like a man who didn’t want to admit he already looked forward to tomorrow.