Jamie didn’t breathe for a moment. He just listened.
The words hit him harder than he expected. Not because they were perfect, but because they felt real. Honest. Like Daddy Spencer wasn’t just singing a song—he was singing to him. And that scared Jamie a little. He didn’t know what this was yet. He didn’t know whether he could hope.
But he did. God, he did.
Jamie’s chest ached in that sweet, aching way that only happened when something beautiful brushed up against something broken. He thought about Tom—how he’d never sung to him, never looked at him like Daddy Spencer did. And for a second, Jamie felt angry. Angry that he’d wasted so much time on someone who couldn’t see him. Angry, he’d let himself believe he didn’t deserve more.
When Daddy Spencer finished the song, he looked up with a shy smile. “Used to play that one in the band,” he said. “Back when I had longer hair and worse taste in shirts.”
Jamie laughed, wiping at his eyes before he could see the tears. “I can see why you were the lead singer. You’re spectacular.”
“Guitar and vocals,” Daddy Spencer said, setting the guitar aside. “We had fun back in the day.”
Jamie hesitated, then asked, “Would you teach me how to play the guitar?”
Daddy Spencer’s smile widened. “Do you really want to learn?”
Jamie nodded. “I think I’d like that.”
Daddy Spencer reached out and squeezed his hand. “Then it’s a deal.”
Jamie looked down at their fingers, intertwined as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And for the first time in a long time, he felt like maybe he wasn’t just healing—maybe he was beginning something new. Something that sounded a lot like love.
Jamie left for the bedroom, pulled on jeans and a sweater, and then made breakfast. Nothing fancy, just scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. Spencer wandered into the kitchen and kissed Jamie’s cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Do you want to go sleigh riding today?” Daddy Spencer asked, sipping his coffee.
Jamie lit up. “Seriously? Yes. That sounds amazing.”
He grinned at Jamie’s enthusiasm. “We’ll rent the sled there.”
“Can you ask Nathan and Alfie? I feel bad about yesterday.”
“I’ll call Nathan, see if they want to join.”
Jamie nodded, heart fluttering. He liked Nathan and Alfie. They were easy to be around, and seeing Daddy Spencer with his friends made Jamie feel like he was being folded into something real.
A couple of hours later, they were bundled up and standing at the top of a snowy hill, two sleds ready to go. Daddy Spencer and Jamie on one, Nathan and Alfie on the other. The sky was a soft gray, snowflakes drifting down like confetti, and the air smelled like pine and frost.
Jamie climbed onto the sled in front of Daddy Spencer, who wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. “Ready?”
“Let’s go,” Jamie said, laughing as they pushed off.
The sled flew down the hill, wind whipping past their faces with Daddy Spencer’s laughter and sweet kisses in his ear. Jamie couldn’t stop smiling. For a few seconds, everything felt perfect. No past, no pain. Just snow and speed and Daddy Spencer’s arms around him.
The sleigh glided over the snow as if it was skimming across a cloud, only this cloud bit back with cold air that nipped Jamie’s cheeks and turned his breath to mist. The runners hissed and whispered beneath them, cutting clean lines through drifts that sparkled under the clouds like spilled diamonds. Every dip and rise in the trail made the sleigh sway just enough to press Jamie closer to Daddy Spencer, their shoulders bumping, laughter slipping out uncontained.
The air up here had a sharp, untouched quality—so crisp it almost stung.
But then, in the quiet moments between runs, Jamie’s thoughts drifted. He remembered Tom—thought back to the bitter experience of being forgotten. No jacket. No call. No apology. Just deafening silence. And it made his chest ache. Made him feel an all-consuming, righteous anger. How could someone who claimed to care about him dump him in that way?
Daddy Spencer seemed to notice the abrupt shift. He didn’t say anything, just squeezed Jamie’s hand and kept him close. Jamie was grateful for the way he didn’t force him to talk, just made space for him to feel.
After a few more runs, Nathan clapped his gloved hands together. “Hey, do you want to go bowling with Alfie so Spencer and I can finish up for the mixer?”
Jamie nodded. “Yeah, that sounds fun.”
Daddy Spencer smiled. “We’ll swing by the store since Nathan and I need to grab a few things for the mixer.”
