He stood, his arm brushing against hers when he walked toward Maddie. "Hey, Mads, Daddy has to go."
She melted into a puddle watching them.
Maddie threw her arms around his neck. "I miss you."
"I'll miss you too." He stepped back. "I'll pick her up before dinner."
"Why don't you come for dinner? Maddie and I can cook something."
"Really? Should I be excited or terrified?"
"Maybe a little of both. I mean, whatever we have will be complimented by things from the garden. But Maddie is helping and thinks everything should be sprinkled with chocolate chips."
"I love chocolate-glazed carrots."
"I bet you do." The timer went off, and out came the cookies. "If you wait for a second, I'll plate you a few to take with you."
"Are you after my heart?" Another panty-dropping smile lifted his lips.
"Lord, no, I wouldn't know what to do with it." She put several warm cookies on a paper plate and passed them to him.
"Something tells me you know all about hearts." He bent and kissed her cheek. "See you tonight, Mercy." He walked out the door.
She stood there for several seconds until Maddie pulled on her sleeve. "Can I have a cookie?"
"You bet."
Once Maddie had her cookie and milk, Mercy put the remover away and planned for the day.
This wasn't a date, but she was as nervous as a teen on prom night. She checked her hair twice. Since she licked her gloss off once already, she slicked on another coat.
When he tapped on the door, her heart dropped into her stomach. On the way to the door, she chastised herself for thinking the dinner was anything more than a kind gesture. She invited him, not the other way around.
“Maddie, your Daddy is here.”
She raced from the kitchen to the door. "Do I look pretty?"
Someone else was after Alex's heart. It was heartwarming to see how much they bonded in the short time Maddie had been here.
"You always look pretty." Mercy braided her hair and worked a few small daisies into it.
She swung open the door, and Alex stood with matching shoes and two bouquets.
"These are for my favorite girls." He handed the gerbera daisies to Maddie and the larger bouquet of mixed flowers to her.
How long had it been since she received flowers? Smelling them filled her with giddiness.
"Thank you, Alex. Are you hungry?"
"Starving. What are we having?"
She walked to the kitchen and rummaged under the sink for mason jars to put the flowers in.
"I thought we'd grill chicken and serve it with a salad Maddie and I made from things I grew in the garden."
"I can grill."
"You grill?" She couldn't imagine him doing something so domestic.
"I cooked a lot when I was a kid, and barbecuing was my favorite because it created fewer dishes to wash."
"You were wise for a kid."
"I think it was laziness back then, but now I try to work smarter and not harder. Is the grill out back? I'll get it ready if you're okay with that."
"That would be awesome. The yard is fenced, so Maddie can play out there."
"Come on, Mads, let's barbecue."
Maddie skipped beside Alex like she was always there by his side. He stepped up to the challenge of parenthood quickly, despite his arguments.
She put everything she needed for their dinner on a tray and walked out the back door to find the barbecue lit and Maddie walking Alex around the yard. She pointed out all the vegetables and fruits she learned that afternoon.
This was a little piece of the Walton's or Mayberry that she always wanted but never got.
Heat poured off the barbecue, burning anything on the grill, but to make sure it was clean, she took the scraper and moved it across the grate.
"That's not your job." Alex raced toward her and squeezed in close before taking the scraper. "You worked all day, let me grill the chicken." He nodded toward the table. "You sit."
"Do you want a beer?"
He shook his head. "No, but a glass of water would be great. If you tell me where to go, I can get it myself."
"I'll get it for you while you cook the chicken."
Back with the glass of water, she called Maddie over to wipe her hands before asking her to serve the salad. Maddie liked helping, but that didn't surprise her because most people wanted to feel needed and valued.
After plating the chicken, they sat down for dinner together.
"Do I have a grandma?" Maddie tucked her legs under her body and leaned toward Alex.
His expression was thoughtful, as if weighing his words. "Your grandmother and grandfather have both passed away."
"Are they in heaven with Mommy? Maybe they can take care of her."
Mercy swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm sure they will." What five-year-old asked that kind of question? No doubt, one that did a lot of caring for someone else.
Alex gripped his silverware so hard that Mercy was certain he'd leave dents in the metal. "It's like an endless loop. For every poor decision we make as adults, there's a kid that pays the price."
She laid her hand on top of his and rubbed gently across his knuckles until the tension faded.
"I never wanted … you know, and this was why. No child should have to do what I did, and it bothers me that Maddie went through it."
"Life was pretty darn good to her if you ask me. It gave you to her. She's a lucky girl to have someone who has been through what you have and come out the other side. You have something inside that few people do—perspective."
They looked at Maddie, who picked the strawberries from her salad and pushed the lettuce aside.
"You need to eat it all if you want banana pudding."
"Banana pudding with vanilla wafers?" Alex rose in his seat, and she imagined him as a child. The exuberance over pudding and cookies charmed her.
"And whipped cream."
He closed his eyes and looked to the sky. "I found nirvana, and it's in
