“I’m not trying to be nosy, but what happened to you two?” Millie asks softly, her gaze never leaving Aura. “I mean, you don’thave to tell me if you don’t want to. But… I would like to know who to bitch slap for leaving this sweet little girl.”
That makes me laugh loudly. This woman. She has been in my house for all of thirty minutes and is already ready to fight anyone who hurts my daughter. It’s a rare thing to see someone get that protective over a child they’ve just met. It makes me think maybe I made the right call agreeing to my mother’s schemes.
I sit on the couch across from her, needing to give her space to bond with Aura, but I can’t stop thinking about her question. What happened to us?
I take a deep breath and let the memories roll in. “Aura’s mother and I were together for eight years before she got pregnant,” I start, my voice steady but with an underlying sadness I can’t quite shake. “We never got married, but I asked her when we found out she was pregnant.”
I pause, the words feeling heavy in my chest. “The entire pregnancy, she was distant. Cold, even though I was so excited. I wanted to pick out names and start decorating a nursery. But every time I tried, she shut me down. She acted as if she wasn’t even pregnant. When Aura was born, we hadn’t agreed on a name. I asked her again, and she just said, ‘This is your baby, Gabriel. Name her whatever you want.’”
I swallow hard, the memory still fresh. “I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what. And I did nothing to fix it. Maybe I should have.”
Millie’s eyes are brimming with sympathy, and her voice is soft as she responds, “That’s heartbreaking. I am sorry you had to go through that.”
I nod, my throat tight. “One month after Aura was born, I came home, and she had her suitcases packed. She didn’t say goodbye. She just left. And that was that. I moved here to Cherry Falls shortly after, and now… now it’s just me and Aura.”
She doesn’t speak immediately. Just watches me like what I said matters. Like none of it changes how she sees me, like I’m still enough in her eyes.
And for the first time in a while, I don’t feel like a failure. I just feel…human.
I get up and head to the kitchen, pouring two glasses of my favorite homemade Italian soda. When I return, I hand one to Millie. She accepts it with a smile that softens something in me.
“Oh my gosh,” she moans as she takes a sip. “This is the best drink I’ve ever had. What is it?”
“Homemade Italian soda,” I murmur with a small smile. “It’s just carbonated water and raspberry syrup. Super simple, but it’s my favorite.”
Growing up in a heavy Italian family, my Ma and Nona always made everything from scratch. I love to cook, so I know all the secrets of cooking from scratch for every meal.
She raises an eyebrow. “And you just made carbonated water? That’s impressive. What else don’t I know about you?”
I lean back against the couch and give her a playful smile. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see, Bumper.”
Her eyes narrow teasingly. “Oh, I’m going to find out.”
Aura stirs in her arms, and Millie gently kisses her forehead. It’s such a natural, intimate gesture that makes something in my chest twist. It shouldn’t be this easy to imagine this moment on repeat—every night, Millie here, holding my daughter. Smiling like this house already feels like a home.
I smile, feeling something shift between us. This might be the beginning of something interesting.
Operation Single Dad
MILLIE
The meetingwith Gabriel went well, and we agreed I’ll start Sunday. I want to get there early, just in case he has anything he needs to tell me before he heads off to work. But until then, I wait.
I spent the entire evening after our meeting replaying the moment in my head—how Gabriel had opened up about Aura’s mother, how he looked at his daughter with so much care, so much love. It made my heart ache.
Aura might just be the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. Her tiny hands, that little face, and those wide, curious eyes—like she’s taking in the entire world one blink at a time.
She’s just a baby, and already life has handed her a raw deal with the woman who should’ve loved her most. She deserves so much more, and I want to be the one to give her that.
Gabriel wants his daughter to be loved, and I will do exactly that. I’ll love her with all my might.
It’s the very least I can offer, especially after everything she’s already had to face so early on.
And maybe if I can give Aura something steady, something warm and safe, it’ll be enough to make Gabriel smile more often.To soften that guarded look he always wears. To make him believe people don’t always leave.
But I remind myself to be patient. Gabriel isn’t the type to let people in easily. I’m not here to fix him or rush anything. Just to be steady. That’s the plan.
The morning after our meeting, I’m in the café, running through the motions of opening up for the day when the door chimes. I look up to find Gabriel standing in front of the counter, holding a tumbler in his hand. It’s one of those sleek, double-walled kinds that keeps your drink cold or hot for hours.
