First Impressions
Saturday morning arrived with a bright, crisp breeze that slipped through the open windows of the CrossLogix office. Daniel was reorganizing a stack of delivery schedules when the doorbell jingled.
He opened it to find Elizabeth , laptop in hand and a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Morning, Mr. Cross. Ready to turn your chaos into something people actually want to pay for?" she asked.
"I think I'm ready," he said, smiling despite himself.
There was a pause. "You think," she corrected, "or you are?"
Before he could answer, his son appeared behind him, bouncing into the room like twin fireworks.
"Who's this?" Ethan demanded, eyes wide and suspicious.
"This is Elizabeth ," Daniel said quickly. "She's… going to help me with the business."
"Business lady?" Ethan asked, tipping his head curiously.
Elizabeth crouched to their level, holding out her hand. "That's me. Marketing magician, coffee enthusiast, and sometimes problem solver. And who are you?"
Ethan exchanged a quick glance with his father before shaking her hand gingerly.
"I'm Ethan." Ethan said, his voice cautious but polite.
"You're gonna fix Daddy's business?" Ethan asked bluntly.
"I'm going to try," Elizabeth said, grinning. "But only if Daddy promises not to make me fix everything alone."
Ethan laughed, the tension breaking instantly. Elizabeth's warmth and humor had won hun over before she even opened a laptop.
⸻
Daniel guided Elizabeth to his desk as the twins hovered nearby, asking questions and occasionally knocking over pens. For the first time, Daniel saw her interact naturally with his son—patient, playful, and genuinely interested in him.
"You like soccer?" she asked Ethan, noticing the tiny bruises on his knees.
"Yeah," Ethan said proudly. "I'm the fastest on our team."
"I bet you are," she said, smiling. "Do you have a superpower Ethan?"
"Solving problems," Ethan said without hesitation.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Then you're in the right place. I plan on solving some pretty big problems here."
Daniel watched, a lump forming in his throat. He realized something he hadn't admitted to himself: elizabeth wasn't just a consultant. She could be someone his son trusted, someone who might belong in their lives.
When Ethan finally got restless and ran off to play outside, Elizabeth turned to him. "He's a great kid, Daniel. Funny, smart, and… I think he already likes me more than you do."
He chuckled, feeling the weight in his chest lift slightly. "He's protective. You can't blame him."
Elizabeth's eyes softened. "I get it. But you know, anyone who cares about him is welcomed here."
Daniel swallowed, aware that Elizabeth wasn't just helping with CrossLogix—she was slowly, almost imperceptibly, becoming part of his family's world.
And for the first time since the divorce, he felt a spark of hope that stretched beyond the business.