Page 51 of Redeeming Melodies

Tommy looked at me for permission, and my chest tightened. Even something this simple, he needed reassurance. Vanessa's rules about sugar and caffeine had gotten under his skin more than I'd realized.

"Whatever you want, buddy," I said firmly. "No rules today."

His answering smile could have powered the whole damn town.

We settled into the booth, Tommy between us like it was the most natural thing in the world. Jake passed him a menu, but kept talking, pointing out his favorites and making Tommy laugh with stories about epic pancake-eating contests from his youth.

"You really ate twelve pancakes?" Tommy asked, awe coloring his voice.

"And lived to regret it," Jake admitted. "But hey, sometimes you've got to commit to the bit, right? Though the blueberry ones are my favorite, but Mags makes this special apple cinnamon version that's pretty incredible too."

Tommy absorbed every word like Jake was sharing state secrets. "What about chocolate chip?"

"Solid choice." Jake nodded seriously. "Very respectable pancake option. But trust me on the blueberries, okay? They're like tiny bursts of happiness."

"Dad?" Tommy turned those green eyes on me - my eyes, everyone said, though right now they sparkled in a way mine hadn't in years. "Can I try both?"

"Whatever you want, sport." The words came out rougher than intended. "Sky's the limit today."

Jake caught my eye over Tommy's head, something soft and understanding in his expression. He got it - got why this mattered, why watching my son order pancakes without fear of judgment felt like a tiny revolution.

Mags returned with our drinks: coffee for Jake and me, hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream for Tommy. She didn't even blink when Tommy ordered both blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, just winked and promised extra syrup.

"This is so cool," Tommy whispered once she'd left. "Mom never lets me get two kinds. Says it's ex-excessive." He stumbled over the word, and my heart clenched.

"Well," Jake said easily, "sometimes excessive is exactly what you need. Right, Dad?"

The casual way he said it - 'Dad', like we were all in this together - did something weird to my insides. "Right. And hey, if you can't finish them all, I bet Jake will help."

"Challenge accepted." Jake's grin was infectious. "Though fair warning, I take my pancake duties very seriously."

Tommy laughed again, that pure kid sound I'd missed so much. "Dad, show Jake how you cut them in perfect triangles like the pit crews do!"

"Like pit crews?" Jake's face scrunched in confusion, making Tommy giggle harder.

"You know, fast and precise!" Tommy demonstrated with his fork, making whooshing noises. "Like when they change tires super fast! Dad knows all about it because?—"

"Whoa there, speed racer." Jake held up his hands in mock surrender. "You're gonna have to slow this down for the small-town sheriff who doesn't know much about racing."

Tommy's jaw dropped in exaggerated horror. "Sheriff Jake! Don't you watch any races?" He turned to me, eyes wide. "Dad, we have to educate him. This is an emergency!"

"Clearly." I tried to hide my smile, watching Jake pretend to look appropriately chastised. "A serious law enforcement emergency."

"The most serious," Tommy nodded solemnly before brightening. "Oh! Can we show him the cool videos sometime? The ones with all the?—"

"Maybe after breakfast, champ." My chest felt warm, watching my kid light up like this. "Let's let Jake master pancake aerodynamics first."

"Aerodynamics?" Jake raised an eyebrow, playing along perfectly. "Do I need a special license for that?"

Tommy dissolved into giggles. "No, silly! But Dad says everything's better with proper downforce." He paused, fork halfway to his mouth. "What kind of car do you drive, Sheriff Jake?"

"Just an old truck." Jake shrugged, but his eyes danced with amusement.

"Dad knows all about cars!" Tommy offered eagerly. "He could probably make your truck better! Even though Mom says—" He caught himself, smile faltering slightly.

Jake smoothly redirected, that natural instinct for keeping kids steady showing again. "You know what my truck really needs? An expert opinion on proper siren timing. Think you could help with that sometime?"

I found myself watching them, caught in the easy flow of their interaction. Jake had this way of drawing Tommy out, encouraging without pushing, finding the perfect balance between attention and space. Even when my kid went full car enthusiast on him, he rolled with it, turning his own lack of knowledge into something that had Tommy playing teacher.

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