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She waved away his thanks, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, it's nothing, dear. Just what neighbors do. You take care now, and give that sweet girl a hug from me."
As Jake closed the door, we looked at each other, a bit stunned. But before we could even process the kind gesture, the doorbell rang again. And again. And again.
Soon, the kitchen was overflowing with dishes and platters, a veritable buffet of comfort food. Lasagnas, casseroles, pies, cookies—it seemed like half the town had decided to show their support the best way they knew how: through food.
Hailey emerged from her room, her eyes wide as she took in the spread. "Whoa. Did we win a contest or something?"
Jake laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Nah, just the kindness of Sycamore Valley. Apparently, you've got a lot of people who care about you, kiddo."
Her face softened, a hint of guilt flickering in her eyes. "I'm really sorry, Dad. And Molly. I never meant for any of this to happen. I just... I wanted you to be happy."
I moved to her other side, taking her hand in mine. "We know and while your methods were a little misguided, your heart was in the right place. But you have to understand, your dad's happiness isn't your responsibility. That's something he has to figure out for himself."
She nodded, leaning into Jake. "I get that now. I just... I just thought he needed a little help. And if I’m honest, I really did want to be a part of a family. A whole one. And I thought maybe if I could get you two together, to really see each other you’d know that you were perfect for one another. I could see it, even if you two couldn’t."
My heart clenched at her words, at the wistful longing in her voice. I glanced at Jake, seeing the same realization dawn in his eyes.
"Hailey, listen to me," he said, turning her to face him. "You and me? We are a family. A whole, complete, wonderful family. And nothing will ever change that. Not your mom leaving, not me dating, nothing. You are the most important thing in my life, and that will never, ever change."
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she launched herself into his arms. "I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Hails. More than anything."
I watched them, feeling a warmth bloom in my chest. This, right here? This was what mattered. This love, this bond, this unshakeable connection between father and daughter.
And as Hailey pulled back, wiping her tears and giving me a watery smile, I knew that I was a part of this family too. Maybe not in the traditional sense, but in all the ways that counted.
"What do you say we dig into some of this food, huh?" Jake suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
Hailey grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Dibs on the chocolate cake!"
“There better be something green on your plate and sprinkles don’t count.” Jake said and I whispered, “They do count.”
As we laughed and filled our plates and sat around the table I felt a sense of peace settle over me.
This was where I belonged. With Jake, with Hailey, in the heart of this quirky, caring, sometimes annoying, wonderful town.
I speared a hunk of casserole that appeared to be more cheese than anything else and gave voice to one question that had yet to be answered. “Hailey, can I ask you about the dating profiles? What was up with that?”
She pushed a few peas around on her plate. “Oh, well, a bunch of kids at school liked to use dating profiles to mess with adults. It’s kind of weird. But it gave me the idea that you might be on one, since you were single. So, I looked for ones I thought you might be on, but you weren’t. But my dad’s account got a lot of attention. More than I was expecting.”
Jake coughed and cleared his throat. He gave me a wry grin.
I shook my head, chuckling. It was so very Hailey, and I couldn't find it in myself to be mad at her for that.
Hailey looked down, poking at her plate. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid, and selfish, and it only made things worse. Also Ms. Reed sent you some very gross pictures."
Jake groaned and I doubled over in laughter.
"Oh, wow. Well, that explains a lot." I said, gasping for breath.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Jake said, his voice filled with exasperation. But he was smiling too, and I could see the affection and amusement in his eyes.
"Well, on the plus side, at least the towns single ladies have confirmed that you're a catch." I teased, winking at him.
"And some of the men." Hailey added deadpan.
Jake looked horrified and I doubled over in laughter.
