“You can work your butt off, honey,” I said. “That’s what you can do. Let me handle this part.”
Her mouth trembled, then she pressed it flat, fighting the feeling. “Okay, Dad,” she whispered.
Now Nancy is grown. She graduated last year, landed a job at a prestigious marketing firm, and built a life with her own hands.
The last thing I could do for her was buy her a house. So I did. It wasn’t extravagant, but it had every modern touch she loved while still feeling rustic and cozy.
When Nancy said she wanted to throw a housewarming party, I bought the snacks and hid my nerves. I just wanted her to feel proud, to walk through her own space like she belonged to herself.
I never expected Jacob to show up.
I had just stepped back into the kitchen when Jacob slid into the center of the room beside Nancy, acting like he belonged there.
A woman I barely knew leaned toward him, nodding at the hallway. “You must be so proud,” she said. “Buying her a place like this.”
Jacob’s smile didn’t even twitch. “I try.”
