Bryce was done baking the last batter of his lemon raspberry cupcake. He let them cool down on the rack. His frosting was also ready in the bag. Losing Clarity made him fall in love with baking. Her memory and having Clary motivated him and gave him a reason to keep the shop.

He still remembered the glittering in her eyes when they talked about expanding their small business, unfortunately, they lost that luxury and Bryce might not be able to keep that promise to Clarity.

With too much enthusiasm for seeing Charleigh again, he woke up earlier this morning. He ran while Lotus was tailing him like it used to do, but he didn’t bump into the brunette who had been invading his brain for days. It was harder to ignore the disappointment inside him, but he knew he would see her later. That was how he managed to finish baking beforehand.

He looked at Clary whose scribbling something in her notebook. She looked exactly like him, and she got his mannerism as well—how he pouted his lips, tapped a pen on the notes when he was trying to concentrate on things.

He let his lungs expand to their fullest through deep, satisfying breaths. His heart filled with lightness and warmth as he kept his gaze on his child. He loved his kid so much, and even willing to sell his soul to the devil just to keep her by his side. He never thought he was capable of loving a kid just like the way he did to Clary. His chest suddenly tightened to the memory that he almost gave in for an abortion.

When he took the first glance at tiny Clary, he cried as he cuddled her into his arms. He lost Clarity, and sure he was devastated, but he had Clary, and he couldn't just give up his life when had another source of strength to move on.

Clarity made him promise that if things went wrong, he had to do the right thing. He loved his wife, but he had to do the promise he made for her, and that promise made Dax hated him even more.

“Dad!”

He blinked rapidly. “Yeah?”

“You’re zoning-out. The doorbell is ringing.”

“Sorry, sweetheart.” He ran, passing by Clary toward the door.

“Are we expecting someone? Make sure she’s the pretty woman, Daddy.”

Before he could reply to Clary, his breathing held when he opened the door wide.

“Hi. Did I come early?” Charleigh was smiling at him. She looked stunning that made him still and momentarily forget something else.

For a moment, he thought he was the luckiest man for having a gorgeous woman at his front door. Who would have a visitor as gorgeous as hers lately? Sure as hell, no one.

He blinked when someone slipped between them.

“Hello, beautiful. My dad didn’t usually see as beautiful as you around here. So, forgive his ill manner. Please, come in.” Clary grabbed Charleigh’s hand without waiting for her reply and dragged her inside the living room.

Bryce turned around, still feeling disoriented, but sure, his heart was racing in his chest. He clamped his mouth shut and blinked to process what had just happened.

Charleigh had Clary’s hand as she was being oriented to the living room full of Clary’s photos on the wall, on top of the old grand piano, and the shelves from her birth up to the recent ones.

“You look so adorable here.” Charleigh picked up one on the shelves. The picture was during Clary’s fifth birthday where she was grinning and showing her missing tooth. It was a close-up shot of Bryce and her.

“I know right? Daddy is also pretty handsome there,” Clary said gleefully.

Charleigh couldn’t help but laugh. “I bet he is.”

Bryce had not said a word, just crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his child talking to their guest like already a teenager. He wasn't entirely expecting a warm welcome from Clary because he never invited any women into his home in the first place. Clary must be a little bit excited. He hoped he would not break his child's heart when Charleigh would go back to where she came from. Overwhelmed to that thought, his face fell.

What he had gotten into?

“This one is my grandpa Matthew.”

“Your great-grandpa,” Bryce corrected.

“Yes, but still my grandpa,” she giggled.

Charleigh met Bryce’s gaze and smiled at him. He felt his heart skipped its beat to the way she looked back. There was something else in there, maybe admiration, and something more.

“Calm down, heart,” he mumbled to himself.

When he glanced down at his child, Clary mouthed, “I like her.”

He gave her a warning look.

“Say something,” Clary mouthed again.

“Please, have a seat, Charleigh.” He gestured to their brown couch with colorful throw pillows.

“I’ll be right back.” Clary ran toward the kitchen to pick up all her things earlier, then went to her father. “Did you hear me?”

“Hold your horses, kiddo. She’s just a friend.”

“But you never invited a friend before. And she’s pretty. I saw the sparks when you looked at her.” She literally jumped with excitement.

He bent down, raising his brows at his daughter. “What sparks? Where did you learn about that Clary?”

Clary rolled her eyes at her dad. “It’s not hard to see, Daddy. And I know she likes me too.”

“Really? So you’re an expert now, huh? How about your YouTube time is lessened to thirty minutes.”

“You can’t do that, Daddy. That’s not cool.”

“And why not?”

“Because I will tell Ms. Charleigh that you were grinning like cray-cray earlier.”

Bryce laughed and shook his head. “Really? So you’re blackmailing your dad now, huh? Because you choose to have more Youtube time.” He pinched her cheeks and kissed her nose.

“Of course not. I’m just gonna tell her the truth. And I want you to be happy.”

He ignored the twinge of pain in his chest. He wasn’t aware that even his child knew when he was happy or not. He thought he was doing a good job on that part, but there were things better to be uncorked. Even the wine, it popped when it'd been long bottled up.

“Just go and entertain her while I’m preparing our lunch.”

“Okay, Daddy. And Daddy.”

“The sparks.”

“Behave.”

She shrugged and giggled. Bryce was smiling as he felt his heart swell, and at the same time, his stomach knotted that all of these were just but temporary.