[Ryder]
I brought the car to a stop in front of Vanessa’s house, double-checking the address on my phone. It looked right, but I still sat there for a few seconds, staring. I'll be meeting her daughter and didn't know how to feel about it.
Would she even like me as her mother?
Exhaling, I tilted my neck to one side, working out the tension, then killed the engine and stepped out. One hand in my pocket, the other swinging loosely by my side, I made my way to the porch.
I hesitated a beat before pressing the doorbell. Right as I looked back down at my phone again to re-check the location, the front door swung open.
"You’re here," Vanessa said with a smile that made her eyes light up.
Relief softened the tension in my shoulders. "Thought I might’ve taken a wrong turn," I said, smiling b
