Page 23 of The Maine Event

“Dan,” I say softly, choosing my words carefully. “You did what you thought was right at the time. We all make choices we think we can fix later. Sometimes, we just don’t get the chance.”

He looks down at my hand, his gaze lingering like he’s not quite sure it’s real. “I wanted to give them everything,” he says. “A good life, a secure future. But I was too focused on being the provider and not enough on just… being there.”

I nod, understanding more than I’d like to admit. “You know, I used to think that success meant proving everyone wrong. Proving I could do it on my own. But sometimes, in the middle of the night, when it’s too quiet to ignore my own thoughts, I wonder if I’ve just been running from the things that really matter. Like I’m so scared of standing still that I keep moving just to avoid looking back.”

He looks up then, his expression softer. “It’s hard to know where the line is,” he says. “Between ambition and obsession. Between wanting to do the right thing and losing sight of why you’re doing it in the first place.”

The weight of his confession presses down on both of us, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m just as guilty of letting life slip through my fingers while I chase something I’m not even sure I want anymore.

Dan’s lips quirk into a half-smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I never thought I’d end up here, living in my hometown, raising a kid on my own, wondering how the hell I got it all so wrong.”

“You didn’t get it all wrong,” I say firmly. “Look at Chloe. She’s amazing. Funny, smart, confident. You’re raising her to be exactly the kind of person the world needs. That’s no small thing.”

He gives a shaky laugh. “Maybe. I just… I don’t want to mess her up, you know? She deserves better than a dad who doesn’t always have his shit together.”

“Join the club,” I say, nudging his arm. “None of us have our shit together. We’re all just pretending we do.”

Dan’s laugh this time is more genuine, and something loosens in my chest—like maybe he’s not the only one who needed to hear that.

The front door opens. “Hey, Dad,” Chloe chirps from the hall as she kicks off her sneakers. “Oh, hey, Rachel.”

“Hi. Did you have a good evening?” I ask with a smile, hoping she can’t sense the mood in the room.

“The best!” She drops her school bag and starts shedding layers of clothing as she skips towards the stairs, leaving them where they fall. “Dad, can I get five bucks for Toca Boca?”

“For what?”

“For my Toca World account. I need an upgrade.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Dan looks visibly perplexed.

“Dad!? The app. Zara’s got the Bohemian house pack. It’s so cool. I think I’ve moved on from my cottagecore phase, and I’m really feeling the Bohemian aesthetic.”

Dan turns to me mouthingaestheticin mock reverence.

I laugh. “I’ll leave these very important design decisions in your very capable hands.” I take my phone out of my purse and book a Lyft.

“Please, Dad?”

“Fine. Only if you promise to show me what it is I’ve bought.”

“Deal!” Chloe runs to Dan and gives him a huge hug.

When I get the notification that my car is on its way, I sweep my pitch documents off the table and let Dan and Chloe catch up with each other.

Of course, Dan offers to drive me home, which is kind, but it would mean dragging Chloe out of the house and she’d only just gotten home. I may not be a parent, but I know the importance of routine and a good night’s sleep on a school night.

I slip into my motel room, still feeling sad for Dan and Chloe. The weight of the day crashes over me as I kick off my heels andcollapse onto the bed. My phone buzzes insistently, and I reach over to decline and let it go to voicemail.

I guess my muscle memory needs a bit of a refresh because I accidentally accept the call.

Zoe’s face fills the screen, her grin a mile wide.

Oh, great, I’m on a video call with everyone from the office.

“Guess what, team? I know it’s late, but I just got the confirmation call. I landed the GreenShoots account!”

A chorus of cheers erupts from the gallery video view, everyone toasting their screens with coffee mugs and water bottles.

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