I nod at him as I grin and pull back. “Good. I’ll drive you.”
He wipes his face with the back of his hand and actually smiles a little, crooked and tired but real. “You really did this for us?” When his hand swipes down over his face, I see light in his eyes that's been lost for probably far too long. He has hope now, and that hope makes me tear up too.
“Yeah. For all of us, Pop… Besides, how can it be Cole and Son's if I'm not part owner? Right?" I nudge him with my elbow and he wipes more tears from his cheeks as he continues to smile.
"You really can pay off the debt?"
"Yeah, Dad… There's enough equity in this old place to do a lot of things. And by the time we get done updating it, it'll be worth twice what it is now."
We stand there in the messy kitchen for another minute, the weight that’s been crushing both of us finally starting to lift. It isn’t perfect and we still have a long road ahead, but for the first time since I came home, it feels like we’re on the same side. Like maybe we can rebuild more than just the business. We can rebuild us too.
I grab the folder and hand it to him. “Come on, old man. Let’s go make this official.”
Dad nods and grunts, glancing at his glass of whiskey briefly, but he grabs his wallet and follows me to the door. Now if my plans for Langford can go half as smoothly as this did, we'll be getting somewhere.
28
EMILY
I've been nervous all day, but not as bad as the past few months. Jaxon's news about his friend having dirt on Langford put me more at ease about that situation, but when it comes to anything personal, I still feel like I’m walking on pins and needles.
"Mercy, please pick up your shoes," I call for the third time. She's been in her own world, in her bedroom drawing pictures all afternoon while I've been stress cleaning and making sure everything in this apartment is perfect.
When I told Mom and Dad I'd be hosting Jaxon so he could spend time with Mercy, Mom's reaction was to caution me to be careful, while Dad gave me a pat on the shoulder and an "Atta girl."
I think they both understand this means Jaxon and I are taking it slow. But I'm done with secrets. I hope to be open with everyone in my life who matters to me every step of the way, which includes my little girl.
"Mercy!" I shout, and she comes tearing out of her bedroom with a huge grin.
"Mommy, you said someone is coming for dinner, but no one is here." She stoops to pick up her shoes and scrunches her nose at me just as I hear a car door outside.
"Go, put them away, and wash your hands for dinner."
I rush over to the window to peek out and see the Cole and Son's truck parked out front. Jaxon struts across the lawn with that damn pink unicorn in hand again, grinning like a fool. I can't help it. It makes me smile too.
Somewhere in the chaos of everything that's happened, I've found my excitement to see him come home again. And now I get to see him every day if I want, which only makes it better.
When the knock comes, I open the door and Jaxon stands there, looking a little unsure but smiling big. “Hey, Em.”
“Come on in,” I say, stepping aside so he can enter.
Mercy comes running around the corner the second she hears his voice. Her eyes light up when she sees him. “It’s the bakery man!”
I let out a soft laugh and rest my hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, sweetie. This is Jaxon. He’s Mommy’s friend, and he’s going to have dinner with us tonight.”
Jaxon crouches down to her level, still holding the unicorn. “Hey, Mercy. Good to see you again. I brought you something. I thought maybe you'd like it?"
Mercy takes the unicorn and hugs it tight to her chest, grinning up at him. “Thank you. Mommy said you fixed our bakery. Are you coming to fix it more?”
“Something like that,” he says with a warm tone. He glances up at me with a smile before looking back at her. “I’m hoping I get to spend some time with both of you.”
A feeling of calm washes over me as I watch the interaction, but I'm on the verge of tears already so I say, “Dinner’s almost ready. Mercy, did you wash up like I asked?"
She rolls her eyes hard and takes Jaxon's hand, dragging him to the dining table. "Yes, I did," she announces proudly, then points at a chair. "You sit there, and Mommy will sit there." Then she pulls out her usual chair and climbs on, keeping the unicorn tucked on her lap.
Jaxon winks at me as he follows her over, and I move toward the counter where the pot of mac and cheese sits still steaming. I stir it a few times and suck in a deep breath to calm my jittering nerves.
I carry the mac and cheese to the table and set it down next to the plate of chicken nuggets I baked earlier. Mercy bounces in her chair a little, already reaching for her favorite food, and I pick up the spoon.
