“Daddy! Mom has the best carving nails ever. I can’t believe how cool she made our pumpkin!”
Jessica looked at her nails with a sigh. “Good thing I’m getting a manicure tomorrow.”
I stood next to her and bumped her good-naturedly. “You took one for the team. I’m proud.”
“Yes, well, I figured I owed you this much.”
“Thanks for taking care of her. I’m sorry I disappeared.”
“Love makes everyone crazy, John. Even you.”
“That’s the truth.” I moved over to Dani’s station and crouched in front of her. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Are you going to carve a pumpkin with me?”
“Actually, I think I might be.”
“Yay.” She gestured at the whole pumpkin next to her. “I hoped you would. I kept one of the good ones for you.”
I kissed her forehead. “Thanks, kiddo.”
She turned back to her pumpkin, her blunt-edged knife in hand. “We have a lot of pumpkin guts for roasting the seeds. Maybe we can even make a pie.”
I laughed and took the knife out of her hand. “I have a question to ask you first.”
She tipped her head. “What’s wrong, Daddy? You look…sad.”
“Not sad, kiddo. So glad. But I did make a mistake with Macy, and I really need your help to fix it because you’re the best woman I know. And you’ll make sure I don’t screw this up.”
She patted my cheek. “Of course. Is she mad at you?”
“Yes. But more importantly, I hurt her feelings and I really didn’t mean to.”
“Did you say you’re sorry?”
“I need your help to do that. Think you can help me? I need to show her I love her in a big way.”
“Oh, Daddy. She knows you love her. You show her all the time. Just like you show me.”
My eyes burned. I pulled her in for a hug. “I hope you always know that about me, Dani.”
She patted my arm. “I do.”
I sniffed. “Okay, so one last question before we do this big plan.”
She rubbed her hands together. “I love plans.”
“Would you be all right with me asking Macy to marry me?”
Her green eyes, that matched mine so completely, widened. “Are you for real? That’s sick!”
“Sick?” Not that again.
“Yes, so cool. Get with it, Dad.”
“Sorry.”
“Yes! Yes times a million.” She clapped and hopped around in circles.