Page 16 of The Parent Playbook
She leans against me, her head resting on my shoulder with the easy familiarity of countless similar moments. “Dad, do you ever think we messed up coming here?”
The question hits me harder than any hockey check. I let out a slow breath. “Sometimes, I do. But then I see you, and I see us making it work here, and I think … maybe it’s not about where we are, but about figuring it out together.”
She groans, throwing her head back. “Dad, that isso cheesy.”
“It’s true!” I shrug. “Since when is the truth cheesy?”
“Since it comes in Dad-shaped form. Did you even brush your hair at all this morning?”
“Hey,” I point in her face with a fake serious tone, “you should be happy I still have hair at my age.”
“You’re thirty-five!”
“My point exactly.”
“That’s it.” She stands up and dramatically sighs while planting her hands on her hips. “I’m going to school. I might need to make a few more friends there, but at least the teacher talks some sense.”
With that, my not-so-little girl marches out of the arena with a cheeky smile as she looks over her shoulder and waves.
CHAPTER 7
ANGEL
Andy and Lil dribble a soccer ball with more enthusiasm than skill, their laughter echoing as I’m desperately trying to organize these bills in the barn. It’s sweeter than any bird’s song. I’m ready for a break and they are having too much fun to pass it up.
As the ball rolls to a stop at my feet, Andy jogs over, a smear of dirt across his forehead like a warrior’s paint, and Lil trails behind him, shy yet visibly trying to fit in. “Mom, Lil’s in my class now,” Andy announces with a hint of pride, as if he had orchestrated the whole arrangement. And he might have.
“Oh, really?” I respond, giving Lil an inviting smile. “How’s that going for you, Lil’?”
She shrugs, a small gesture, but it speaks volumes. “It’s better now that I’m in Andy’s class. It’s hard to make new friends when everyone already has their groups.” She purses her lips and sighs. “I remember when there was a new girl in my class back in Colorado, and now I wish I’d been nicer to her.”
I nod, understanding too well the unspoken rules of small-town social navigation. “Yeah, that’s the tough part about moving to Maple Falls. It’s like jumping into a double Dutchgame. You’ve got to find the right moment to jump in, or you might end up tangled in the ropes.”
Andy looks puzzled, but Lil nods. “It feels like everyone’s known each other forever,” she adds.
“That’s pretty much how it is around here,” I agree, leaning back against the wooden fence that encircles our field. “But you know, every group has room for one more, especially if you find the right moment. You’ve just got to keep showing up, keep being you. It’s not about changing to fit in; it’s about finding the space where you fit.”
“Yeah, yeah, she knows, Mom.”
Andy reaches for the soccer ball, but I hold on to it for a moment longer.
“It’s like here at the ranch, Lil. We’re all a bit mismatched, but that’s what makes it work. You’ll find your spot. Andy will help you. Won’t you, kiddo?”
“Of course, but first I need to get on the scoreboard! She’s winning three-nothing in this game.”
Lil smiles at me, a bit more confidently this time, and nods. “Thanks, Angel.”
They dash off to continue their game as I head over to see a lively group of second graders eagerly planting their first veggie gardens in egg cartons they can take home with them.
“Looking promising, kids!” I walk through the group, their proud smiles giving me a bellyful of warm and fuzzy feelings.
My phone vibrates with an incoming message and I glance down to see Fix-It-All Inc. flash on the screen. I slip away from the murmur of curious young voices discussing carrot seeds and potato eyes to check it.
The message is curt, almost apologetic:
“Due to inflation, costs for materials have exceeded initial estimates. Additional funds required as per contract terms. Please confirm transfer.”
A knot forms in my stomach as I log into the ranch’s bank app. The numbers aren’t comforting—our account balancehovers barely above the survival line. With a deep sigh, I switch to my personal banking app. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to funnel my own funds into the ranch, and despite the sting, it won’t be the last—not until the funds come through from the Ice Breakers.
