Page 4 of Rockstar Daddy's Second Chance

She’s always reaching for something I’ve tried very hard to let go of—her next song, her next big idea. She’s always strumming new chords and muttering lyrics, completely lost in her own little world. Her face set with a quiet determination I both love and fear. She gets so wrapped up in making music that I can’t help but worry about her.

After she hugs me goodbye, I stand in the doorway and watch her walk down the sidewalk, her head still bobbing to some silent beat that only she can hear. When I close the door, the house falls back into silence, my secrets curling back up into their safe little corners.

Alone, my thoughts drift, as they always do, to the simple life I’ve built here for me and my daughter.

After I clean up the kitchen, my phone buzzes on the counter, and I glance down to see a text from Leah, my friend, and owner of Heart & Grinds, the coffee shop where I work.

‘I know it’s your day off - but can you come in to work today? Sue called in sick. We’re shorthanded.’

I reply with a quick,‘I’ll be there.’Heart & Grinds is only a few blocks from Cassidy’s school, the perfect kind of job where no one pries. There, I’m just ‘Kacey from down the street.’ I slip into my shoes, grateful for the distraction, and start the short walk.

As I walk to the shop, I pass by an electronics store, and on the large screen in the front window flashes an image of Cass Wild. I give a startled jump, my nerves shredded, a familiar pang settling in my chest.

I quicken my pace, focusing on the steady rhythm of my footsteps—anything to keep my eyes off his face on the screen. Seeing Cass, even just on the television, is enough to shake my steady world and pull at memories I’ve buried. It’s been years, but the sight of him still stirs something—anger, regret, longing—all tangled together.

When I step into Heart & Grinds, Leah’s already behind the counter, taking orders from the early crowd. She waves at me, flashing a grateful smile, and I slip into my apron, tying it around my waist as I join her behind the espresso machine.

“Thank you so much for coming in,” she says, barely looking up as she takes another order. “It’s been nonstop since we opened.”

“No problem.” I offer a quick smile, slipping into the familiar routine of making lattes, pouring coffee, and exchanging small talk with customers. It’s grounding, in a way. Each order is its own little task, anchoring me to the present.

“You look a little distracted today,” Leah says during a lull. She’s giving me that look, the one people wear when they sense something but can’t quite put their finger on it. “Everything okay?”

I shrug, stirring a cappuccino. “Just the usual morning chaos. You know how it is with kids.”

She chuckles, nodding in understanding. “I don’t know how you do it, honestly. Being a single mom, juggling work and everything else, I can barely manage my cats.”

I laugh, appreciating the lightness of her words, even though they brush against something deeper. Leah doesn’t know about my past or why I came back to this quiet corner of the world with Cassidy in tow. She just knows me as Kacey, the barista who can hit a perfect high note while pouring coffee and who reliably works her shifts and never talks about her past. And for now, that’s exactly who I need to be.

As the rush dies down, I find myself humming softly, a tune slipping out before I realize it. Leah pauses, tilting her head as she listens. “Would you please reconsider joining our church choir?” she pleads with a grin. “We really need you.”

I freeze, the words catching in my throat. “No,” I say quickly, laughing it off. “You know I just sing for fun.”

But Leah doesn’t drop it. “I know… but I wish you’d change your mind. We’re always looking for great voices. We’d love to have you.”

I manage a tight smile, shrugging it off. “Maybe someday.” But even as I say it, I know it’s a lie. Someday is a word I use when I don’t want to come right out and say never.

As the clock moves closer to three, I type out a quick text to my daughter that I’m working and to stop by on her way home from school.

After a few minutes, I hear a jingle as the door opens, and in breezes Cassidy, like a breath of fresh air, her smile bright and her disposition sunny.

“Hi, Mom! Hi, Leah.” She gives everyone, even the customers, a cheery wave, and I smile. She’s comfortable around strangers and in a crowd. She makes friends easily wherever she goes. Another trait she definitely didn’t get from me.

“Want your usual?” I ask with a fond smile.

“Please!” She grins, settling into a chair, pulling out her homework while I prepare her drink. By the time my shift ends, I’m more than ready for some peace and quiet.

On our walk home, Cassidy chatters away, filling me in on her classes. She’s animated until we pass the street corner, where, to my dismay, a concert poster catches her eye. It’s plastered on a lamppost, a glossy photo with a set of dates printed in bold. The words “One Night Only” hover beneath a name that I can’t seem to escape:Cass Wild.

She stops dead. Her eyes lock on the street poster, wide with excitement. A familiar, sharp pang strikes me, though I say nothing.

“Mom!” she says, grabbing my arm. “Can I go? It’s only for one night!” She turns to look at me, her expression pleading and hopeful.

“Cassidy, you’re eleven,” I say, barely holding my voice steady.

She scoffs. “That’s old enough to go to a concert! My best friend will be there!”

My chest tightens as I look into her hopeful eyes, the image of Cass Wild on that poster looming just behind her. I take a breath, steadying myself, trying to ignore my jumbled emotions.

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