Oh my god, she's even cuter than you described. She dropped to her knees in front of Lily, bringing herself to the little girl's level. Hi, Lily. I'm Maya. Your dad helped us when our car broke down.
He's kind of a hero, you know. Lily looked up at Marcus, then back at Maya. He's my daddy. The best kind of hero. Maya smiled warmly.
Do you want to see our game room? We have every video game in existence. Well, almost every video game. Lily's eyes went wide. Really?
Cross my heart. Sophie, show Marcus inside. I'm going to give this little princess a tour. She held out her hand and Lily, after a quick glance at Marcus for permission, took it. They disappeared into the house.
Maya, chattering excitedly about all the games they were going to play. "She's great with kids," Sophie said, watching them go. She always wanted to be a teacher, but dad pushed her toward business school. and you law school. Sophie rolled her eyes because apparently our family needs another lawyer. Come on, let me show you around.
The inside of the house was even more impressive than the outside. High ceilings, artwork on the walls, furniture that looked like it belonged in a museum. Marcus felt like he should be watching where he walked, afraid to touch anything. Relax, Sophie said clearly, reading his discomfort. It's just a house.
A stupidly big house, but still just a house. It's bigger than my entire apartment building. I know. Believe me, Maya and I would trade it for something smaller in a heartbeat. Somewhere that actually felt like a home.
She led him toward the back of the house. Dad's on the patio. He's been looking forward to seeing you all week. They walked through a set of glass doors onto a terrace that overlooked the city below. Judge Caldwell was standing at the railing, gazing out at the view.
He'd traded his black robes for a casual sweater and jeans, and he looked younger somehow, more human. "Marcus," he turned and extended his hand. "I'm glad you came." Marcus shook it firmly. "Thank you for inviting us, your honor.
Please call me Harrison or Ben if you prefer. I'm not a judge right now. I'm just a father trying to make up for lost time. Sophie touched Marcus's arm. I'm going to check on Maya and Lily.
You two talk. She slipped back inside, leaving Marcus alone with the man who had changed his life. For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just stood there looking out at the city lights beginning to twinkle on as dusk settled over the hills. "Beautiful view," Marcus finally said.
"It is." Harrison nodded. I used to love sitting out here watching the sunset. But somewhere along the way, I stopped noticing. Too busy with work, too focused on the next case, the next ruling, the next thing.