"It's just me," I say. "My parents died when I was ten. Car accident."
"I'm sorry," he says, and the way his eyes soften tells me he means it.
"Any siblings?" he asks gently.
"A sister," I say, my voice catching slightly. "I haven’t—"
"Here comes the school bus," he says, cutting in, his tone brightening. "Want to meet Hannah?"
Chapter 2
Cal
"Daddy!" Hannah's voice slices through the afternoon air, bright and full of excitement.
I crouch down as she barrels toward me, her little backpack bouncing with each step.
"Hey, sweet girl," I say, catching her in a hug. "How was your day?"
"Emily's having a birthday party!" Hannah announces. "Can I go, Daddy? I got an invitation. It's in my backpack!"
I smile, smoothing her wild curls. "Of course you can go. We'll find that invitation when we get home, okay?"
She nods enthusiastically, then glances shyly at Elle, who's standing a few steps away, trying not to intrude on this father-daughter moment.
"Who's that, Daddy?" Hannah asks, her curious eyes flicking between me and Elle.
"This is Elle," I say, giving her a small smile. "She's our new neighbor."
Hannah hesitates for a moment, then offers a little wave.
Elle waves back, offering a kind smile in return. "Hi, Hannah. It's nice to meet you."
Hannah's initial shyness disappears as she quickly warms up to Elle, her excitement bubbling over.
"Do you have any kids at home?" Hannah asks Elle, already making plans to befriend said child. "They can come to the party with us, huh, Daddy?"
"No, sweetie," I say with a soft chuckle. "Elle doesn't have any children."
"Oh," Hannah says, her face falling with obvious disappointment.
"All your friends will be at the party," I quickly add. "You're going to have so much fun. Now, let's go so you can have a snack before we get started on your homework."
"Homework?" Elle asks, clearly surprised. "In kindergarten?"
"Hannah’s teacher believes that if you start kids on a homework schedule early, they’ll adjust better when real homework comes along," I explain.
"Okay," Elle nods slowly, her smile showing skepticism. "In kindergarten, though?"
I shrug, trying to suppress a grin. "Honestly, I think it’s more of a way to prepare us as parents for when the real homework starts."
Elle laughs softly. "Ah, so the homework’s not really for her, it's for you."
"Exactly," I say with a smirk. "You’re learning how to juggle long before the real circus begins."
Hannah jumps in with a dramatic sigh, her backpack slung over her shoulder. "Daddy, do we have to do homework now? I want to play!"
"Homework first, then playtime," I say firmly. "We’ll get through it fast, and then you can do whatever you want."
