A Shy Baker Waited for a Blind Date — Until CEO’s Two Little Girls Said, ‘My Daddy’s Sorry, He’s Late’
Mrs. June packed a large basket with sandwiches, soup, and a box of her famous «heart cookies»—rich chocolate cookies with centers of raspberry filling that seemed to bleed when bitten into. «If you bring warmth,» the older woman said with knowing eyes, «you might just heal more than you think.»
Twenty minutes later, Serena found herself driving toward the Riverside construction site, two excited twins in the back seat.
This is madness, she thought. She was driving two children she just met to deliver dinner to a man she had never met—a man who had technically stood her up. As the twins chattered in the back, Serena caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror.
There was a light in her eyes that had been absent for too long. Maybe second chances don’t always knock on doors. Sometimes they’re six years old and wear pink jackets.
What would happen if, just once, a shy girl chose courage over caution? What if she dared to believe that not all foundations were destined to crack?
«Turn here!» Lily called, pointing toward the river. «You can see the lights.» Bright construction lights illuminated the skeleton of a grand library, all glass and steel and sweeping lines that complemented the riverside.
Even unfinished, it took Serena’s breath away. The architectural student in her stirred to life. «Did your daddy design that?» she asked, unable to hide her awe.
Nora nodded proudly. «He says libraries are magic because they hold all the stories people need to heal.» Serena parked, suddenly nervous.
Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.
«Too late!» Lily announced, already unbuckling. «We’re here now.»
As they approached, Serena saw a tall figure standing near the foundation, gesturing to workers. Even from a distance, she recognized him from the photo: Richard Cole, though his shoulders seemed more tense, his stance more rigid. A woman in a sleek business suit stood beside him, tablet in hand, leaning slightly into Richard’s space.
She was striking: tall, confident, with a polished appearance that made Serena acutely aware of her simple jeans and sweater. «That’s Veronica,» Nora whispered. «She wants to be our new mommy.»
«But we don’t want her,» Lily added. «She smiles with her mouth, but not her eyes.» Before Serena could process this, the twins broke away, running toward their father.
«Daddy, daddy!»
Richard turned, his expression transforming from concentration to shock as he spotted his daughters running toward him. Then, as his gaze lifted to land on Serena, standing uncertainly with a food basket, shock gave way to confusion.
«Lily! Nora! What on earth are you doing here?» He knelt as the twins crashed into his arms, their excited voices overlapping.
«We brought your date because you forgot, and she made dinner so you wouldn’t be grumpy!»
Richard’s gaze lifted to meet Serena’s, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. «I’m so sorry,» she called.
«I… They came to the cafe and explained you were working late, and Mrs. June thought you might need dinner.» Veronica stepped forward, eyebrows arched in calculated disdain.
«You let your children roam around with strangers now, Richard?» she asked, her voice carrying a sharp edge. The twins frowned. «She’s not a stranger,» Lily protested.
«She’s daddy’s date that he forgot about! And she makes the best cookies in Portland,» Nora added. Serena felt everyone staring.
She set the basket down. «This was a mistake. I’ll just go.»
«No.» Richard’s voice stopped her. Something in his tone, a warmth that seemed to surprise even him, made her pause. «Please stay. You brought dinner. I owe you that much.»
Sometimes the most terrifying moments are doorways to everything we’ve secretly wished for. The question is, do we have the courage to step through?
Richard ran a hand through his hair. «I completely forgot about our coffee meeting.»
«Sandra from the community center set it up, right? About catering for the opening?» Understanding dawned on Serena’s face. This wasn’t a date; it was a business meeting.
The twins had misunderstood. «Girls,» Richard said firmly but gently. «You can’t just leave the house without telling Mrs. Wilson, and you certainly can’t go around telling people I’m their date.»
«But daddy,» Lily began, her lower lip trembling.
«We heard you tell Mrs. Monroe that Serena was pretty,» Nora finished, her small chin lifting defiantly.
Richard’s cheeks colored slightly, and Serena saw a crack in his composed exterior. Veronica’s expression, meanwhile, had cooled several degrees. «I think I’ll let you handle your family matters,» she said crisply.
«We can discuss the foundation issues tomorrow.» With a pointed glance at Serena, she added, «Some problems require professional solutions, after all.» As Veronica clicked away on expensive heels, Richard sighed, then offered Serena an apologetic smile.
«I am genuinely sorry about all this,» he said, «for missing our meeting and for my daughters’ matchmaking scheme.»
«It’s okay,» Serena replied, surprised to find she actually meant it. «They were worried about you.»
Richard glanced at his watch, then at the food basket. A small war seemed to be playing out behind his eyes: duty versus basic human needs, work versus an unexpected connection. «Would you mind if we had that meeting now, just a bit delayed?»
He gestured to a makeshift table covered with architectural drawings. «I could use a break, and the girls are already here.»
«Mrs. Wilson must be frantic, though.»
«I texted her,» Lily said proudly, pulling out a small phone. «I said we were with daddy.»
Richard raised an eyebrow. «Not the whole truth, but we’ll discuss that later.» He turned back to Serena. «So, dinner meeting?» Serena nodded. «Dinner meeting.»
They sat atop architectural plans, the basket open between them, the twins perched on upturned buckets nearby. The construction lights cast everything in a harsh but somehow magical glow.
«These are incredible,» Richard said after biting into one of the heart cookies. Something in his expression made Serena think he hadn’t truly tasted anything in a long time.
«Thank you,» she said quietly. «Baking helps me think.»
«What do you think about?» he asked.
«Structures,» she admitted. «Balance. What holds things together when forces try to pull them apart?»
Richard studied her with new eyes. «That sounds more like architecture than baking.»
«I studied it for two years,» she said, then immediately wished she hadn’t.
«Why did you stop?» The question hung between them. The twins grew quiet, watching.
«Someone convinced me I wasn’t good enough,» Serena finally said. «And I believed him.»
Richard was silent for a long moment. Then, to her surprise, he spread out one of the drawings. «What do you think of this? The community cafe section of the library. Something’s not working, but I can’t see it.»
Serena hesitated, then leaned forward. Her finger traced a line on the blueprint. «The flow is interrupted here. People want to move naturally from books to food, but this wall creates a psychological barrier.»
Richard stared at her, then back at the drawing. «You’re right. I completely missed that.» He shook his head, a smile forming. «You have a hidden talent for design.»
«She draws buildings made of cookies,» Nora piped up. «We saw them in her book.»
Richard’s eyes met Serena’s again, something new kindling in them. «Maybe we could collaborate on the cafe design.»
The offer hung in the air, not just a professional opportunity, but something more. A bridge between two people who had stopped building new things in their lives.
Richard leaned closer. «My wife, before the accident, used to say the foundation of love is trust. ‘Don’t ever stop building.'» His voice caught. «But I did stop. After she died, I just maintained what was already there for the girls.»
«Then you and I,» Serena replied, her voice trembling, «both stopped building.»
