The evening lights of the cafe twinkled against the darkening sky as Adrian Shaw sat alone at a corner table, checking his watch for the third time in ten minutes. At 34, he had been on enough blind dates to know when he was being stood up. And this was starting to look like another one for the collection.
His business partner had set this up, insisting that Adrian needed to stop working 80-hour weeks and actually meet someone. The woman, according to his partner, was kind and genuine and exactly what Adrian needed. But it was now 20 minutes past the agreed-upon time, and the chair across from him remained empty.
Adrian was about to signal for the check when he noticed a small figure approaching his table. A little girl, perhaps three or four years old, with blonde curls held back by a pink ribbon and wearing a pink dress. She walked with the determined purpose of someone on a mission, weaving between tables until she stood directly beside him.
«Excuse me,» the little girl said with perfect politeness. «Are you Mr. Adrian?»
Adrian blinked in surprise. «I am. And who are you?»
«I’m Lily,» the girl said seriously. «My mommy sent me to tell you she’s sorry she’s late. She’s parking the car and she’ll be here in just a minute. She said to tell you she’s really, really sorry, and she hopes you didn’t leave.»
Adrian felt his annoyance evaporate instantly, replaced by amusement and curiosity. «Your mommy sent you in alone to find me?»
Lily nodded. «She showed me your picture on her phone so I would know what you looked like. She said you’d be sitting by the window with the candle, and here you are.» She seemed quite proud of her detective work.
«Well, you found me,» Adrian said with a smile. «Would you like to sit down while we wait for your mommy?»
Lily climbed into the chair across from him with some difficulty, and Adrian resisted the urge to help, sensing she wanted to do it herself. Once settled, she folded her hands on the table and looked at him with serious eyes.
«Mommy says I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,» Lily said. «But she said you’re not a stranger. You’re her friend, Mr. Adrian, so it’s okay.»
«That’s very wise of your mommy,» Adrian said. «And she’s right. I’m not a stranger if she sent you to find me.»
«Are you going to marry my mommy?» Lily asked with the directness only children possess.
Adrian nearly choked on the water he had just sipped. «I’m sorry, what?»
«Are you going to marry my mommy?» Lily repeated patiently. «Because Mrs. Henderson next door said mommy needs to find a husband, and mommy said she was trying, but it’s hard with a little girl because some men don’t like kids. Do you like kids?»
Adrian was saved from answering by the arrival of a woman, who rushed to their table, slightly breathless and clearly mortified. She was lovely, probably in her late 20s, with the same blonde hair as her daughter, and an expression of pure horror.
«Lily, I told you to wait by the door, not to come find him by yourself!» The woman turned to Adrian, her cheeks flushed. «I am so sorry. I’m Isabel. This is my daughter Lily, who apparently does not follow instructions. I told her to wait while I found you, but she’s very independent.»
«I found him, mommy,» Lily said proudly. «And I told him you were sorry you were late.»
«Yes, you did, sweetheart, and that was very helpful. But you still shouldn’t have come over alone.» Isabel looked at Adrian with apologetic eyes. «I’m so sorry. The parking was a nightmare, and then I couldn’t figure out how to work the parking meter, and by the time I got inside, Lily had already taken matters into her own hands.»
«It’s fine,» Adrian said, and he realized he meant it. «Lily was very polite. She delivered your message perfectly. Please sit down.»
Isabel sat, settling Lily beside her rather than across from Adrian. «I should have told you I have a daughter when we agreed to meet. That was dishonest of me. I understand completely if you want to leave.»
«Why would I want to leave?» Adrian asked.
«Because most men do when they find out about Lily,» Isabel said quietly. «I’ve learned to mention it up front now, but your partner was so enthusiastic about setting us up, and I just wanted one evening where I wasn’t judged for being a single mother before anyone even met me.»
Adrian looked at Lily, who was watching this exchange with interest, and then at Isabel, who looked resigned to rejection. He thought about how Lily had navigated a restaurant full of strangers to find him, how she had been polite and confident, and how Isabel had raised a child who could do that.
«I think anyone who judges you for being a mother is an idiot missing out on something incredible,» Adrian said. «Lily is clearly amazing, and that’s a reflection of you.»
