Chapter Twenty-Three #2
“But what about Auntie Anna? She told me I have to tell her everything or she won’t be my aunt anymore.”
Daisy scoffed. Sometimes Anna could be the worst. “She doesn’t actually mean that!”
“Well, I don’t want to chance it, so can I tell her? Please?”
Daisy rose from the couch into a sitting position. “She kind of already knows, sweetie.”
“Like the whole time?”
“Uhh, yes.”
Amelia was quiet and Daisy winced at the thought of how she would respond—yet another person who knew before her.
“Okay, that one is off the list. What about Jessica?”
Daisy brushed a feigned sweat off her forehead at her daughter’s blasé response.
“Did she refuse to be your friend if you didn’t tell her everything?”
“No, but I like her and she would think it’s cool. I just need to tell someone!”
“Fine, you can tell Jess, but I need to be there.”
“Yay! I can’t wait to see her reaction. She is totally going to freak out!”
They all chuckled. “That she most certainly will.”
“Is Jessica your assistant?”
“Yes, you’ve met her. She is a BIG fan.”
“I assumed. She quite literally followed me out of your gallery and onto the sidewalk that first day I stopped by.”
Daisy fell into a fit of giggles as she imagined Jess stalking him out of the gallery.
“She was starstruck.”
“Can you blame her?” he said coolly, then lowered his voice so only she could hear, “I mean, some have even said that I am a walking heart attack in blue jeans.”
Daisy’s eyes widened with shock at his words—or rather, her words, the ones she had used to describe him over a decade ago.
She quickly stood from the couch and made her way into the kitchen to avoid him seeing her beet-red face. He knew how attractive he was and so did she—hell, she had said those very words to him. He had only grown more handsome, and Daisy wished that weren’t the case.
Why couldn’t he get less attractive with age?
If Daisy wasn’t careful, that face of his could get her into some serious trouble.
“I’ll go pick up the food. Will you stay here with Amelia?”
Jameson rose from the floor with a smug smirk plastered across his face. She waited for him to address his comment or rather her abrupt change of topic, but he never did.
“I can have someone pick it up for us.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Daisy, don’t be stubborn. I will have someone go.”
“No, Jameson. I want to.” She said it persistently.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly. “Chicken Pad Thai, no peanuts.” He reached for his wallet and took out a hundred-dollar bill.
Daisy shook her head. “My treat.”
“No,” he said curtly, shoving the money into her hand.
Daisy loosely gripped the bill before tossing it at his chest. “I said my treat.”
“Daisy, you’ve taken care of my child without a single penny from me,” he whispered. “The least I can do is pay for some meals.”
“But I don’t want you to.”
“Why not?”
“It’s principle, Jameson,” she said, then quickly retreated to her bedroom to get ready.
She pushed her door shut, but before it clicked into the frame, Jameson stopped it with his hand. “You are starting to drive me mad. Please just let me pay for the damn meal.”
“Why does it bother you so much?” she inquired.
“Why does it bother you?” he repeated.
“Like I just said—it’s principle. First you pay for our meal, then another and another, then you start paying for Amelia’s various activities, then you pay a bill for me here and there and before you know it, you’re helping me out with my car note and my rent and—”
Jameson interrupted her ramble. “I’m not hurting for money, Daisy,” he said matter-of-factly. “I want to help you since I never got the chance to.”
“Don’t you get it, Jameson? I pride myself on the fact that I can pay my bills and have a studio and take care of our daughter. I don’t need a handout.”
Daisy waited for him to fight back, but instead, he lifted the side of his mouth.
“What’s that smile for?”
“Because that was the first time you’ve ever referred to Amelia as our daughter.”
Daisy felt the air change. “Well, it’s true, but don’t think I’ll just drop this because you’re suddenly feeling all reflective and sappy.”
Jameson barked out a laugh and snapped out of his feelings.
“I get that you’re a proud woman, but the truth is, you don’t have to do this alone anymore.
I will respect finances pertaining to you solely, but when it involves Amelia, I would really appreciate it if you let me help out. It can be our little secret.”
“Jameson…”
“Daisy…” he countered.
She waited a long moment for him to yield, but that never came. She should’ve known better.
“Okay,” she softly surrendered. “You can pay for the food.”
Jameson nodded and pushed the bill back into her hands. “See, Daisy, if you just listened to me in the first place, your life would be much easier.” Then he turned and headed out her bedroom door.
She softly chuckled and whispered, “Asshole.”
After Daisy got ready for the day, she headed out into the frigid Bay Area fog to pick up their food.
As she walked the short distance to the restaurant, she was surprised by how comfortable she already felt leaving Jameson alone with Amelia, even for a short while.
He was stepping into his role as “dad” so effortlessly, and Daisy was thankful for it.
She still had her doubts. Maybe she always would.
Trusting him again felt like reaching for something that could vanish at any second.
But for now, it was enough. The way Amelia’s eyes lit up when he walked in, the way she doubled over at every other joke he cracked—those were reasons enough to set aside her own history and let Amelia decide who Jameson would be to her.
Daisy had no illusions about what would happen. Her daughter would fall hard for his charm, for that magnetic pull he carried everywhere he went.
Because she had.
That had always been Jameson’s gift: making you feel like the most important person in the room.
And Amelia needed that as much as she needed a father.
Only now did Daisy see it clearly, that a piece of her daughter had always been missing. And she was watching it, slowly, begin to fill.
Amelia had never said the words, but Daisy had always felt the shadow of it: the quiet ache of growing up without a dad.
When Daisy came back from the restaurant, she found Jameson and Amelia still on the living room floor, cross-legged around Amelia’s rather impressive tea set, a birthday present from her grandparents.
“Hopefully, you two aren’t spoiling your appetites before lunch.”
“It’s all fake, Mom—though Jameson didn’t think so.” She giggled.
Daisy eyed them curiously. Jameson stood from his spot on the ground and showed Daisy a piece of plastic biscuit with a large bite missing.
“It looked real.”
“I didn’t realize you were so hungry,” Daisy joked. “In that case, come and get it.” She motioned toward the Thai food.
The three of them sat at the kitchen island and wolfed down their meals. Little was said in those twenty minutes, but Daisy could sense that Amelia was enjoying the meal with both her mother and father present. She repeatedly grinned up at them, reveling in the fact that they were all together.
“I like this,” Amelia mumbled as she took the final bite of her Pad see ew.
“Me too,” Jameson agreed, knowing exactly what she was talking about.
Daisy hesitated a moment before she squinted her eyes and placed a quick kiss on Amelia’s cheek. “Me three.”
Amelia’s face beamed with happiness. “Let’s watch another movie. I’m totally into the ’80s now.”
After the kitchen was clean, Amelia snuggled in between her parents as they watched Daisy’s pick, Pretty in Pink.
The normally hour-and-a-half-long movie had to be stopped several times for laughter, questions, and comments. Daisy concluded that Jameson and Amelia together were the absolute worst to watch movies with.
They never shut up.
They were almost through the movie when Daisy heard a jingle of keys at the door. Confusion wrote itself across their faces as all three heads turned.
Suddenly, it hit Daisy.
Oh crap, she thought.
She had completely forgotten about Matt. She glanced at the clock—he was almost an hour early.
Their dinner plans.
She had entirely blanked.
“Hello, my gir—” Matt’s greeting was cut short as he took in the scene before him.
“Matty!” Amelia rose from the couch and sprinted to where Matt stood, frozen at the door.
“Hi, sweetie. I’ve missed you,” he said, hesitantly reaching to hug Amelia.
“Matt, I’m so happy you’re here. You didn’t tell me.”
Matt looked up at Daisy. “That’s because I told your mom.”
“Mom…?”
Daisy rose from her sitting position. “Hey, I’m so sorry. I totally forgot. The day got away from me after I went back to sleep.”
“It’s okay, I’m pretty early,” he said softly, then looked past her. “Is this…?”
“Matt, this is Jameson. And Jameson, this is Matt—my boyfriend,” Daisy stated firmly.
Jameson walked toward Matt with a smirk. “Pleasure,” was all he said as he stuck out his hand.
“Same. Sorry to interrupt your… movie.”
“It’s fine,” Daisy said quickly. “Amelia, go put on a dress so we can go to dinner.”
“We can always reschedule, if that’s what’s best,” Matt offered.
Jameson slapped Matt on the back and uttered, “Nonsense. You made plans with the ladies, so I can go.”
Matt ignored him and continued, “We can go tomorrow.”
“Matt, today works fine.” Then she turned to Jameson, trying to think of the nicest way to ask him to leave.
But before she could say a word, Jameson said, “I have to head out anyway.”
A smile tugged at Daisy’s mouth and she whispered, “Okay.”
Jameson grabbed his jacket from the coat rack. “Matt… nice meeting you. And, Daisy… I’ll call you later.”
He quickly said goodbye to Amelia and closed the door, leaving Matt and Daisy standing in silence. Daisy couldn’t even look Matt in the eyes. While she had done nothing wrong, she still felt guilty for not disclosing that Jameson had indeed reentered their lives.
Matt broke the stillness. “He’s taller in person.”