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 asour 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.”
