She smiled. Fucking smiled at me. If I died in this moment, I’d die happy.
“Thanks for the dolls,” she said. “I have them on a shelf in my room.”
“You’re welcome.”
The waitress slid drinks and two more menus onto the table and left silently.
“So how have you been?” I asked Cori.
“Good. I went to nursing school and I work in a Palliative Care facility now.”
I looked at Cori’s ring finger, not because I cared about her relationship status, but because I wanted to know if my daughter had a stepfather. She didn’t have a ring. I felt relief mixed with a twinge of sadness. If Brooklyn had never had a father figure, I wanted to do everything I could to be the man she deserved.
“What grade are you in?” I asked Brooklyn.
“Fourth.”
“You play any sports?”
“Soccer and cheerleading.”
Her proud smile was beautiful. Hearing her and seeing her was reaching me so much deeper than I’d realized it would.
“I have soccer games on Saturdays in the summer if you ever want to come,” she said.
“Brook,” Cori said in a scolding tone. “He might not be—”
“I’d love to,” I said, cutting in. “I mean, if it’s okay with your mom.”
Cori nodded. “Sure. If you want to. But remember that if you say you’re coming, it’s important to be there.”
She didn’t know if I could be trusted. I understood that. She’d singlehandedly guarded Brooklyn’s heart all these years, and I couldn’t expect to just walk in and have her trust.
The waitress walked up and eyed us all, waiting for our orders. Brooklyn ordered a grilled cheese and I felt a twist of happiness in my stomach over knowing she liked grilled cheese sandwiches. I wanted to know everything about her.
Our lunch ended too quickly. That hour with Brooklyn wasn’t enough. I’d told myself all I needed was one meeting with her, but now that I knew–really knew–what I’d been missing, I didn’t want to go back to life without her.
“Thanks again,” I said to Cori on the way out of the diner. “I don’t want to overstep, but if there’s any chance I can see her again . . .”
“How about dinner at our house this weekend?”
I looked at her, surprised. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Just make sure you show up if you say you will.”
“I will. Text me when and I’ll be there.”
“When do you work?”
“I can come anytime.”
She gave me a skeptical look as Brooklyn escaped the bitterly cold wind by getting into Cori’s beat up old sedan.
“Do you work? From the way you sent all that money so fast after . . . you know . . . I just wondered where it came from.”
She thought I was a drug dealer. I could see it in her eyes. And no surprise, since I’d been strung out every time we were together ten years ago.
“I’m above board these days,” I said. “No drugs or alcohol. I’m an owner of a club downtown.”
Her eyes brightened. “Which one?”
“Six.”
“Oh, wow. Really? I’ve heard of it.”
I nodded. “I swear I’ll be a good influence in Brooklyn’s life. This chance means so much to me. I won’t fuck it up.”
“Okay.” She moved to open her car door but stopped. “Hey, did you ever get married and have more kids? Does Brook have any half siblings?”
The question caught me off guard. “No.”
She smiled. “Okay. So we’ll see you this weekend.”
I looked in the backseat, where Brooklyn sat looking at me through the window. I raised a hand in a wave and she waved back. And smiled.
I reached into my pocket and took out my phone to call Viv and share every last detail with her.
Viv
For once, Henley answered his cell phone.
“Miss Marceau, nice to hear from you.” His tone had its usual smooth confidence. But then, the guy was a twenty-something multimillionaire actor, so confidence wasn’t unexpected.
“Hello, Mr. Cartwright,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I’m working on our counter proposal for a settlement and I need to ask you a few things.”