Chapter 4 Vance #2
I should have been ecstatic. This was everything I’d been praying for. But all I felt was terror. I had no bedroom for her, no sense of who she’d become, no idea how to bridge the six years between us.
She was coming home to a stranger.
And that stranger was me.
I called my mother.
She answered on the second ring. “Good morning, sweetheart. How was your date?”
“Mama.” My voice cracked. “Nicole called.”
Silence. Then: “What did she want?”
I told her everything. The new fiancé. The ultimatum. The million-dollar demand. The fact that Margot was coming to live with me—in a week.
When I finished, Mama was quiet for a long moment.
“I’m in shock,” she said finally. “Complete and utter shock.”
“Me too. And I’m scared, Mama.” I sank onto the couch, elbows on my knees, head in my hands. “She thinks I abandoned her. She doesn’t even know me anymore. I don’t know her.”
“You’re her father. She’ll remember you.”
“Will she? Or will she just see the man who let her mother take her away and didn’t fight hard enough to get her back?”
“But that’s not true. You fought until you had nothing left.”
“It wasn’t enough.”
“It was everything you had.” Mama’s voice was fierce. “And now you have a second chance. Don’t waste it being afraid.”
She was right. I’d spent every dime, every ounce of strength, every night awake at the kitchen table drafting one more letter to a lawyer who never called back. I’d had nothing left when I sold my app.
“I’m living in a studio apartment, Mama. I don’t even have a room for her.”
“Then you’ll find a place to rent. I’ll help you. Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll figure this out.”
I exhaled slowly, some of the panic draining from my chest. Mama always had that effect—steady hands in a storm. Still, one thought wouldn’t let go.
“What if she hates me?”
“If she does, you’ll just stay steady. Love her anyway. Show up, every day, until she can’t help but see who you really are.”
I closed my eyes. “Nicole says she has behavior issues. Sullen. Uncommunicative. I’m afraid of what she’s been through. Nicole’s such a narcissist, I can only imagine the damage.”
“Her mother just sold her so she could remarry,” Mama said quietly. “So I think we have a pretty good idea.”
By six o’clock, I’d pulled myself together enough to shower, change, and pack the picnic I’d promised Lila: French bread from the bakery, Brie and aged Gouda, fresh figs, grapes, and a bottle of rosé chilling in a small cooler. And a blanket.
Going through the motions helped—kept my hands busy, kept my mind from spinning out.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about Margot. About the papers I’d sign tomorrow. About the fact that, in one week, I’d have a daughter living with me who thought I’d abandoned her.
I checked my reflection in the small mirror by the door. I looked tired. Stressed. But Lila would understand. I’d tell her. I had to. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
At six-twenty, I grabbed the picnic basket and headed downstairs. The evening air was warm but soft, touched by salt and the faintest hint of jasmine. Perfect for a beach picnic.
Using GPS, I drove out to Lila’s cottage, my stomach churning. What if this changed everything? What if she rejected me?
Her house was a small cedar-shingled cottage with blue shutters, a wild garden out front full of lavender and roses, and a narrow stone path winding toward the front door. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.
I knocked.
The door flew open, and a teenage girl with big brown eyes and a ponytail stood there, grinning.
“Hi, Vance,” she said. “I’m Mia. Come in.”
“Nice to meet you.” I stepped inside, taking in the beautifully decorated home—elegant but lived-in, the kind of space that made you exhale.
“Mom’s almost ready. She’s fiddling with her hair.” Mia rolled her eyes affectionately. “Want something to drink?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
She studied me with the kind of directness only teenagers could pull off. “You look just like your photos.”
“Is that good?”
“Yeah, totally,” Mia said. “Mom had a great time with you last night.”
“I’m glad. She’s pretty special.”
“Right? That’s what I always tell her.”
“She says I have you to thank for putting her profile on the app.”
She shrugged, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. “We all got in a lot of trouble. But I’m still glad we did it.”
“I’m in full agreement.”
She tilted her head, her expression contemplative. “You don’t seem like the type to hurt someone. Or cheat.”
“I have no intention of doing either.” I smiled at her. There was something about her—those big brown eyes, the sincerity in her voice. An old soul. A kindred one too.
“My dad hurt her really bad.”
“I understand. I’m divorced. And it was messy. My ex hurt me too.”
“Did she cheat like my dad?”
“No. Worse, actually.”
“What could be worse than that?”
“I’ll have to tell you about it some other time,” I said.
“Whatever she did, I’m sorry.”
Mia sounded so sad I wanted to pull her in for a hug, but I didn’t dare.
“I wish you’d known her before my dad did what he did,” she said softly. “She used to laugh all the time. And sing in the shower. Dance in the kitchen. He ruined everything.”
“I’m sorry, kiddo. I wish I didn’t, but I get it. My dad was a real bastard. He left when I was five—or rather, my mom kicked his abusive butt out.”
“He hurt her?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Did she ever remarry?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Mia’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s super sad.”
“It is, yeah.” I pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. “But she’s fine now. Living her best life.”
“What’s this?” she asked, holding it up.
“It’s to dry your eyes with—the old-fashioned way.”
She dabbed at her cheeks. “Do I give it back?”
“No, you can keep it. A gentleman doesn’t ask for it to be returned.”
She gazed up at me, wiping the corners of her eyes. “You’re so perfect for my mom. I knew I was right when I chose you.”
Lila appeared from the hallway, and my breath caught. She wore jeans and a soft white T-shirt, her hair down in loose waves, makeup minimal but perfect. Casual. Effortless. Stunning.
“Sorry,” Lila said, slightly breathless. “I couldn’t decide—anyway. Hi.”
“Hi.” I crossed to her, resisting the urge to kiss her hello. Too soon. “You look gorgeous.”
She blushed. “Thanks. You too. I mean, not beautiful. Handsome. You look handsome.”
Mia snorted. “You guys are so old.”
“Okay, we’re leaving now.” Lila grabbed a light jacket. “Don’t burn the house down. There’s leftover pasta in the fridge.”
“Thanks for the chat,” I said to Mia. “It was great to meet you.”
“You too. And thanks for this.” She held up the handkerchief, waving it like a white flag. “All guys should have one to lend out.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Have fun,” Mia called as we headed out. “I’ll wait up for you, Mom.”
“Bye, honey,” Lila said as I followed her to my car.
Mia remained on the porch, watching.
I laughed, holding the car door open for Lila. She smelled incredible, clean and warm, her skin glowing in the golden light.
We drove to the public beach, making small talk about our days. I kept mine vague—errands, calls, nothing interesting. I’d tell her the truth soon enough.
The beach was quiet at this hour, most of the families gone home for dinner. We found a spot near the rocks, away from the few remaining people, and I spread out the blanket while Lila kicked off her sandals.
“This is perfect,” she said, settling onto the blanket. “I love this time of day. Everything feels peaceful.”
I unpacked the picnic, trying to focus on the moment—the wine, the food, this woman who’d appeared out of nowhere and turned my entire world upside down.
We ate and talked, and I tried to be present. But I could feel the weight of what I had to tell her pressing down on me.
“Vance?” Lila’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Are you okay? You seem … distracted.”
I set down my wineglass. “I’m sorry. I’m not great company tonight.”
“Did something happen?”
I looked out at the ocean. “Yeah. Something happened.”
She waited, patient.
“I got a phone call this morning. From my ex-wife.”
“Oh.”
“She wants me to take Margot permanently.”
She paled. “Why now? After everything she’s put you both through?”
I told her about this morning—the new fiancé, the ultimatum, the fact that Margot was coming to live with me in one week. “Full custody.”
Lila was quiet, looking out to sea, the last of the sun mirrored in her eyes. Then she turned to me, resting her fingertips lightly on my arm. “What can I do to help?”
I almost started crying. “That’s all you want to know?”
“What else is there?”
Absently, I picked up a piece of driftwood, still warm from the afternoon sun. “Is it too much for you? Too complicated?”
“What kind of hypocrite would I be if that were the case? I have a daughter of my own. Complications of my own.”
I turned to face her. “But we just met. You signed up for a guy who’s supposed to be fun and spoil you—not someone about to become a full-time single parent to a kid who might not even want to know him.”
“I signed up to meet a real person. One who was honest with me. That’s what I need more than anything.”
“Thank you,” I said, my throat tight. “I haven’t been a dad for six years. Nicole alienated me from her in every way, and now the poor kid’s just supposed to move in with a stranger.”
She looked at me with those clear blue eyes. “You’re not a stranger. You’re her father—who wants her.”
“More than anything.”
“It might be tough at first, but, if you just stay the course, she’ll realize how good she has it—and how much you love her.”
I stared at her, hardly daring to believe it. “That’s basically what my mother said.”
“She must be very smart.”
“She is.” I stuck the piece of driftwood into the sand. “Just when I thought my life was going one direction, it does a switchback.”
She covered my hand with hers. “Isn’t that life, though? We just never know what’s coming.”
“It’s awful.”