Chapter Text
Grace meets Daniel on a cold drizzly afternoon. She is holed up in the corner of a quaint little cafe somewhere in Brooklyn. Although it’s far off the beaten path, the whole cafe is filled to the brim with people today. As a regular, this is a surprise for Grace, especially when she had left the comforts of her apartment – on her day off no less – for this place. She finds solace in at least managing to secure her usual cosy armchair in the back.
Of course, her moment of peace and quiet is dashed when a man comes running into the cafe, dripping wet, followed by a little girl, who has a plastic bag wrapped around her head. Grace tries not to stare and focus instead on her book but she can’t help looking at the odd pair surreptitiously out of the corner of her eye. She hears the man make his order but she doesn’t catch a name.
Grace shakes her head and looks back at her book. She doesn’t usually have quiet days like these any more. Now that she is taking on more and more projects, she really needs to savour the precious few hours she actually gets to sit, read and lose herself to the world.
She’s managed to read one whole page since she stopped trying to eavesdrop on the newcomers when said newcomers walk over to her corner of the cafe.
“Sorry to bother you,” the man begins. “But there aren’t any free seats. Do you mind if we sit here?”
Grace looks up from her book into dark hazel eyes and a mop of unruly brown hair matted to his forehead. He is really, really cute. It’s the first thing she thinks, which is why it takes her a second too long to reply. She nods. “Oh... Sure. Um, go ahead.”
Both he and his daughter, she assumes, quickly peel off their jackets and plop down on the sofa opposite Grace.
“Lily, drink your hot chocolate slowly,” the man says quietly. He has a very pleasant voice, she muses.
The little girl shakes her head like a wet dog, droplets of water flying everywhere. One lands on Grace’s nose and she wipes it away with the back of her hand, more bemused than anything else.
“Hey!” her dad exclaims as he jumps back, startled. “Are you serious right now? C’mon, kid!”
Lily giggles with a mischievous glint in her eyes, which Grace notes are identical to her dad’s. “Soooooorrrryyyyyyyyy,” she drawls out. She looks over to Grace and catches her staring at them. “Sorry, miss,” she says again.
The man sighs and reaches over to pull the hood of the girl’s sweater over her head. “Sorry about that. Apparently, I’ve failed to teach her any manners.”
“It’s because I don’t have a mama,” Lily quips instantly. “She was a stone-cold bitch.”
“Jesus freaking Christ, Lily!” The man drops his face into his hands. “Language!”
“But you said it!”
“And you were supposed to be asleep!” he replies, groaning into his palms. He looks up, his eyes meeting Grace’s. “Once again, I’m so sorry.”
Grace puts down her book – this is clearly more interesting – and chuckles. “It really is okay. She’s definitely the most interesting kid I’ve ever met.” She offers her hand towards the little girl. “Hi, I’m Grace.”
She takes it enthusiastically. “I’m Lily! I’m five years old! This is my daddy. His name is Daniel and he’s single!”
“Oh my god,” the man apparently named Daniel sighs. “That’s it. I’m putting you up for adoption.”
“Nah uh, you can’t!” she sing-songs as if this is a conversation they have every day. “You told Uncle Alex you paid a lot of money for me!”
“I didn’t – that’s not –” Daniel laughs. “I didn’t buy you. I gave your mother money so she would leave us alone.”
“Oh,” Lily says and nods gravely. “Daddy, what is a bitch?”
Grace snorts, and try as she might, she can’t help the laughter that bubbles out of her. Lily glances towards her and starts giggling too in that way kids do when they think they’ve done something to amuse the adults.
Feeling sorry for the man, Grace steps in. “A ‘bitch’ is a very, very mean person. But you know what’s a better word? Oh no, I don’t think I can tell you. It’s too awful.”
Lily leans forward eagerly, nearly toppling the hot cocoa in front of her. “What! What is it!”
“Butthead.”
The little girl gasps and grabs a hold of her dad’s shirt. “Butthead!”
Daniel laughs softly, catching Grace’s eye. Immediately, there’s this zip of connection that runs through her veins. It catches her off guard and she has to look away. That was new. She had never felt such an intense draw of attraction with anyone before, not when Grace is as closed off and solitary as she is. And yet...
“Very nice,” he says to her. “Now she’s going be to saying this for the next month.”
Grace shrugs, pretending not to be as affected as she is by his smile. “Sorry?”
“No, you’re not,” Daniel points out.
“No, I’m not,” she agrees.
They both stare at each other but the moment is broken when Lily starts talking again. “Grace, do you want to come to my birthday party?!”
“Umm –”
“Lily, c’mon. You can’t just invite strangers to your party,” Daniel says as he flicks his daughter gently on the knee.
“She’s not a stranger!” Lily protests. “She’s Grace. She’s cool and I like her! Please, please, please!”
“What if she’s a monster in disguise?” Daniel asks his daughter. “We don’t know her. And besides, maybe she’s busy.”
Lily frowns at this, considering his words. She stands up and walks over to Grace, poking her in the arm. “She doesn’t feel like a monster. Are you a monster?”
“No, not as far as I’m aware,” Grace says, trying desperately to keep a straight face.
“So you don’t eat puppies and babies?”
“Oh, definitely not.”
“Okaaaaaay. Are you busy on Saturday?” Lily continues with her interrogation.
Technically, she is. She has to finish designing a logo for the new bakery opening up down the street, but instead, she shakes her head. Grace isn’t too sure what compels her to do that. Maybe it’s the little girl standing before her with a very serious frown on her face. Or maybe it’s her unfairly hot dad who is smiling bemusedly at her with his arms crossed over his chest, the sleeves of his white dress shirt pushed back to his elbows. “No, I’m not.”
“Good!” Lily claps her hands and looks back towards her dad. “See! She’s free!”
Daniel chuckles. “You really don’t have to come, but look, she’s not going to let it go unless I properly invite you so here’s my number. Text me and I’ll send you the details.” Lily is squealing beside her.
“C’mon, kid,” Daniel says, standing up. “It’s time to go.”
It was then that Grace finally notices the sun beginning to shine outside. When had it stopped raining? Had she been so consumed in the father-daughter pair in front of her that she didn’t even notice the softening pitter-patter of rain or the sunlight filtering into the cafe?
Apparently so.