Jackson
“YOU WANT A SNACK, K?” I asked as my daughter settled at the kitchen table to do her homework.
We had a strict do your homework first thing after school policy, so our evenings were usually the same. Kayla would walk the two blocks from her school to mine, we’d ride home together, and she’d do her homework while I made dinner. After, she usually caught up with one of her friends while I graded papers or worked on lesson plans, and before bed, we’d watch a couple episodes of whatever show we were binge-watching.
Currently, we were on The Goldbergs, which we both found hilarious.
“Sure,” Kayla replied with a half shrug as she started on her math worksheet.
I smiled at the back of her head, thinking how great it was that we were finally in a place where we were both content, and my daughter was happy.
Julie’s abandonment had hit us both hard, and Kayla had taken quite a while to recover. I’d spent many nights holding her while she cried herself to sleep. It was hard for me, a thirty-year-old man, to understand why my wife of nine years had left without looking back. It was impossible for our eight-year-old daughter to comprehend.
She went from having her mom drive her to gymnastics, help her with her homework, and laugh with her over Girl Meets World, to listening to her mother tell her she needed a life of her own, then walk out the door.
I swear, if I ever saw Julie again, I’d kill her for those words alone.
My wife and I had never been over the moon in love with each other, but we’d shared a healthy relationship, love for our daughter, and what I’d thought had been an unbreakable support for one another.
Her leaving had totally blindsided me.
I was placing a plate of cut-up apples and a spoonful of peanut butter on a plate in front of Kayla when my cell phone started to ring.
When I looked at the unknown number, my heart clenched like it always did when I wondered if this was the day Julie was going to reach out.
There’s no way she would actually leave her daughter and never look back, right? I mean, me, I could get, but Kayla? I’d never understand it.
“Uh, hello,” I managed, becoming embarrassed at the nerves in my tone. I saw Kayla glance up from her sheet, and my heart sank at the look of hope on her face.
“Hello, is this Jackson?” a light, sweet voice asked, and I let out a sigh of relief.
It was Millie, from the catering place.
“It is,” I replied, unable to keep the smile off of my face.
“Hey, this is Millie, from Three Sisters Catering.”
“It’s great to hear from you, Millie,” I replied, and dammit, it really was. I hadn’t been this excited to talk to a girl on the phone since high school.
I could tell she didn’t know how to respond, because I heard a nervous laugh, then she said, “I’m, ah, calling to let you know that we’re all set for Saturday. I’ll plan to arrive at two to set up and be ready to serve from three to four. Are there any allergies or dislikes I need to know about?”
“Um, no, I don’t think so,” I replied, then added, “Thank you so much. I know it was last minute, and not something you would normally even do. You’re really saving me here. I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s no problem,” Millie replied, before pausing and saying, “I’ll contact you if I have any questions, but I think you covered it all on the sheet. I’ll see you Saturday.”
“I can’t wait,” I said, truthfully.
“Goodbye, Jackson.”
“Goodbye. And, thanks again.”
I pressed the end button, still smiling, then glanced up to see Kayla watching me with an odd expression.
“Who was that?” she asked, her tone surprisingly surly.
“That was your good news,” I replied, ignoring her tone and crossing to lean over the table, stopping when my face was inches from hers. “You’re not going to believe it.”
“What?” Kayla asked, her tone still wary, but her face starting to react to my excitement.
“That was the catering company that’s going to be here to put on the best tea party ever, for my favorite daughter’s birthday.”
“Really?” she squealed, all surliness gone.
“Really, really.”
Kayla jumped up and rounded the table to jump into my waiting arms.
“Thanks, Daddy,” she murmured, and my heart filled with joy.
“Anything for my baby girl,” I replied, bending slightly to drop a kiss on the top of her head.
Kayla pulled back and grinned up at me.
“I can’t wait to tell everyone. A sleepover and a tea party? This is going to be the best birthday ever!”
I chuckled as she practically danced back to her seat.
“Can I call them?” she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.
I just smiled and gave my head a small shake.
“After homework.”
“Boo,” Kayla replied, but she was still beaming.
I went back to my dinner prep, my heart light as I watched my daughter go back to her homework with a smile on her face, and I sent a silent thanks to Millie, the sweet and sexy chef who’d unwittingly saved the day.