Worth the Fall: A Single Dad, Romantic Comedy (Flirting with Forever Book 2)

The fire crackles softly as I hold Mia’s hand, my thumb brushing against her knuckles. Her head is still on my shoulder, and I can feel her relaxed, steady breaths. But when I mention building a life together, she shifts slightly, sitting up and tucking her legs beneath her. There’s something in her eyes now—an earnestness, a slight tension that wasn’t there a moment ago.

‘Miguel,’ she starts, her voice thoughtful, ‘you know how much I love you, right?’

‘Of course,’ I say, squeezing her hand gently. ‘And I hope you know how much I love you too.’

She nods but hesitates, her teeth catching her bottom lip. It’s a look I’ve seen before, usually when she’s turning over something heavy in her mind.

‘I want to talk about what you said—about building a life together,’ she continues, her words careful. ‘I want that too. I really do. But there’s something I need to say, and I need you to really hear me.’

I shift to face her fully, giving her my undivided attention. ‘I’m listening.’

She takes a deep breath. ‘You know how much my work means to me. I’ve worked so hard to build my career, to get to where I am. And it’s not just about the job—it’s about the purpose behind it. Helping people, making a difference. It’s a big part of who I am.’

I nod, understanding where she’s coming from. Mia’s dedication to her work is one of the things I admire most about her.

‘I’m scared,’ she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘Scared that if we take this step, if we start blending our lives even more… I’ll have to make compromises that I’m not ready for. Or that I’ll feel like I have to choose between the people I love and the work I love.’

Her words hang in the air between us, and I can feel the weight of her vulnerability. I reach out, cupping her cheek and guiding her gaze back to mine.

‘Mia,’ I say softly, ‘I would never ask you to choose. Your work is a part of who you are, and I fell in love with all of you—your heart, your passion, your drive. I’m not looking for you to change anything for me.’

Her eyes search mine, looking for reassurance.

‘I don’t want to stand in your way,’ I continue. ‘I want to stand beside you, cheering you on. Whatever your dreams are, wherever your journey takes you, I’ll be there. And if there are challenges, we’ll face them together. You don’t have to carry it all alone anymore.’

Tears glisten in her eyes, and she lets out a soft, shaky laugh. ‘You make it sound so easy.’

‘It’s not going to be easy,’ I admit. ‘But the best things never are. I’m not promising perfection, Mia. I’m promising effort. I’m promising to show up, every single day, for you and for us.’

She leans into my hand, closing her eyes for a moment before looking back at me. ‘What about you?’ she asks. ‘You have dreams too, Miguel. You’ve built so much for Felicity. What if my career gets in the way of that?’

I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. ‘Mia, my dreams have already come true in a lot of ways. My biggest dream was to give Felicity a happy, stable life. And now, with you, that dream has grown. My dream is a life where we’re all together—where Felicity has you as a role model, where we support each other through everything.’

She lets out a breath she’s been holding, and the tension in her shoulders seems to melt away. ‘You really mean that, don’t you?’

‘Every word,’ I say, my voice firm. ‘Mia, you don’t have to be afraid of losing yourself in this. I don’t want you to. I love who you are, just as you are. All I want is to build a life where we both feel free to chase our dreams, together.’

For a long moment, she doesn’t say anything. Then she shifts closer, wrapping her arms around me and burying her face in my chest.

‘I don’t know how I got so lucky,’ she murmurs, her voice muffled but full of emotion.

I hold her tightly, resting my chin on the top of her head. ‘Funny,’ I say, ‘I was just thinking the same thing.’

The fire crackles again, and the room falls into a comfortable silence. I can feel the beat of her heart against mine, steady and strong.

‘Miguel?’ she says after a while, her voice soft.

‘Yeah?’

‘I think… I think I’m starting to believe this could work. Us, all of it.’

‘It will,’ I promise her. ‘We’ll make it work, one step at a time.’

She pulls back just enough to look at me, her smile radiant despite the tears still glistening in her eyes. ‘One step at a time,’ she echoes.

And in that moment, I know we’re taking the first of many steps toward the life we both dream of.

The morning sunlight streams through the jeweler’s storefront, casting a golden glow on rows of rings that sparkle like tiny constellations. Normally, I’d appreciate the artistry in this moment—each gem meticulously crafted to symbolize a love story—but today, all I feel is pressure. My stomach churns as I scan the display, searching for something that feels right. That feels Mia.

‘Bro,’ Hector whispers beside me, loud enough that the jeweler looks over, her smile faltering. ‘You can’t overthink this. You gotta go with your gut. Which one makes you feel like, Bam! That’s the one?’

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. ‘Did you just say ‘bam’ to describe picking out an engagement ring?’

Hector nods solemnly. ‘Absolutely. This is the bam moment of your life, man. Don’t screw it up.’

I shoot him a glare. ‘That’s really helpful. Thanks.’

He grins, completely unbothered by my tone. ‘Hey, you’re the one dragging your feet. You know what Mia’s like—sweet, smart, beautiful. She deserves the perfect ring. And you deserve to stop looking like you’re about to throw up.’

I want to argue, but he’s not wrong. My nerves are shot. This isn’t just about a ring. It’s about Mia, about the future I want to build with her and Felicity, about getting it right this time. My chest tightens at the thought of my last proposal—to Celine, years ago. That was supposed to be perfect too.

And look how that turned out.

The jeweler steps forward, her kind eyes scanning my expression. ‘Are you shopping for someone special?’

‘Very,’ I manage, my voice tight. I don’t elaborate, because how do I explain that this isn’t just a ring? It’s a promise. A second chance.

Before she can respond, the sound of running footsteps echoes through the shop.

‘Daddy!’ Felicity’s voice rings out, and I turn just in time to see her barrel through the door, her curly hair bouncing and her sparkly shoes lighting up with every step.

Behind her, Becca strides in with a confident smirk, holding up her hands in mock surrender. ‘Surprise! Hector said you might need reinforcements.’

I glance at Hector, who’s suddenly very interested in the display case.

‘Reinforcements?’ I ask, arching a brow.

Becca shrugs. ‘Well, Felicity insisted on being here to help. And I figured you could use a second opinion.’

‘Princess jewelry!’ Felicity declares, pressing her nose against the glass. ‘We have to find the perfect one for Mia.’

I groan softly. ‘This is a terrible idea.’

The jeweler’s shop is quiet except for the occasional clink of jewelry trays being rearranged and the unmistakable sight of Felicity’s sparkly shoes lighting up as she bounces from display to display. Every few seconds, her voice rings out, loud and excited, as she discovers yet another contender for ‘the perfect ring.’

‘Daddy! Look at this one!’ she squeals, pointing to a ring that’s more gemstone than band. The centerpiece is a diamond the size of a sugar cube, surrounded by so many smaller stones it could double as a disco ball. ‘It has sparkles and diamonds and… more sparkles!’

I crouch beside her, biting back a laugh. ‘Sweetheart, remember what I said? Mia’s not really into sparkles. She likes things that are simple and meaningful.’

Felicity tilts her head dramatically, her curls bouncing as she taps her chin like a seasoned jeweler deep in thought. ‘So… not a princess ring?’

‘Not a princess ring,’ I confirm, tugging gently at one of her wild curls.

‘Well,’ she says, straightening up and clasping her hands like she’s delivering a royal decree, ‘maybe Mia needs to be more into sparkles.’

Becca snorts, barely concealing her laughter behind her hand. Hector, on the other hand, doesn’t even bother to hold back.

‘Kid’s got a point,’ Hector says, crossing his arms and smirking. ‘Maybe you’re underestimating Mia’s sparkle potential.’

I give him a flat look. ‘You’re not helping.’

He shrugs. ‘Just saying, maybe we should let the expert pick. Clearly, she knows what she’s doing.’

‘Obviously,’ Felicity chimes in, flipping one of her curls over her shoulder like she’s got years of ring-buying experience under her belt.

I glance at Becca for backup, and she smirks. ‘Actually,’ she says, leaning down to give Felicity a high five, ‘I think she’s onto something. Hearts are meaningful.’

‘See?’ Felicity says, beaming with triumph as she hops to another display case. ‘I’m really good at this.’

For the next fifteen minutes, Felicity transforms into a pint-sized jewelry consultant. She circles the cases with all the gravity of someone making life-altering decisions, pausing every so often to press her nose to the glass and declare, ‘Nope. Not the one.’

At one point, she insists on trying on a display ring and holds it up to the light with a critical eye. ‘This one’s okay,’ she says with a shrug, ‘but it’s not special enough for Mia.’

‘Exactly,’ I say, relieved that she’s starting to understand.

‘But I’ll keep it for me,’ she adds, slipping the ring back into the jeweler’s hand with an air of royalty. ‘When I’m old enough to get married, of course.’

Becca chuckles. ‘Ambitious. I like it.’

Hector, meanwhile, has discovered the free candy near the entrance and is happily munching on peppermints like he’s here for a casual afternoon outing. ‘Man,’ he says, between crunches, ‘this kid is putting more thought into this than you are.’

‘She doesn’t have twelve years of baggage making her second-guess every decision,’ I shoot back, earning a sympathetic glance from Becca and a playful nudge from Felicity.

‘Daddy,’ she says, tugging on my sleeve. ‘You don’t have to be nervous. Mia’s gonna say yes. She loves you!’

My chest tightens at her words, and I kneel down to pull her into a hug. ‘Thanks, princess. That means a lot.’

‘Okay, okay,’ Hector says, clapping his hands. ‘Enough of the emotional dad stuff. Let’s find this ring before Felicity starts planning her own wedding.’

Eventually, we land in front of a display of vintage-inspired rings. One in particular catches my eye—a delicate band with a single diamond, framed by smaller stones in an elegant, understated setting.

The moment I see it, something clicks. It’s not flashy nor over-the-top, but there’s a timeless beauty to it that feels exactly like Mia.

‘What about this one?’ I ask, pointing to it.

Felicity leans in close, her nose practically smudging the glass. ‘Hmm,’ she says, her tiny finger tapping her chin again. After a long pause, she nods solemnly. ‘This one’s good. Like… really good.’

Becca peers over my shoulder, her eyes lighting up. ‘Miguel, that’s it. That’s so Mia.’

Even Hector, who’s been cracking jokes all morning, goes quiet for a moment. ‘Yeah,’ he says, his voice softer than usual. ‘That’s the one, man.’

I glance at the jeweler, who’s already smiling as she carefully lifts the ring from the case. ‘It’s a lovely choice,’ she says, placing it in my hand.

I turn it over gently, the weight of it grounding me. For the first time all morning, the nerves start to settle. This is it. This is Mia.

‘Daddy,’ Felicity whispers, tugging on my sleeve. ‘Can I hold it?’

I kneel down and place the ring in her small hands, watching as her eyes widen. ‘Wow,’ she breathes. ‘Mia’s gonna love it. I just know it.’

As we leave the store, Felicity skips ahead, humming a made-up tune about ‘Mia and Daddy getting married.’ Becca hangs back with me, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder.

‘You okay?’ she asks softly.

I glance at Felicity, who’s now trying to convince Hector to let her carry the bag. ‘Yeah,’ I say, smiling. ‘I’m good.’

Becca nudges me with her elbow. ‘You’re more than good, Miguel. This is gonna be amazing.’

I watch as Hector finally relents, handing Felicity the bag and grinning as she holds it up like a trophy. For a moment, all the doubts and baggage fade away, replaced by something I haven’t felt in years—hope.

‘Yeah,’ I say, my voice steady. ‘It is.’