A/N: this chapter is for all the great dads in the world, like Jake, who make a difference for their loved ones. They're not bad boys or billionaires, and they don't have super powers. Just being there for the people they love is what matters.

Lydia

Another year had gone by so quickly, and before we knew it, summer vacation was just around the corner.

Jake and I decided to play it low key and take some well-deserved time off work to relax a little, catch up with friends, fix a few things around the house, and visit our family back home in Gainsville.

Violet was a real social butterfly at day care. She also loved to draw and paint. So much that she decorated our living room wall with some nonwashable markers and paint. The consequence was that we had to repaint that section of the wall of our living room.

She also managed to draw and paint all over herself. That was something we had to explain to the teachers when we dropped her off at day care.

How did it happen? I was out buying milk and bread, while Violet was on Jake's watch. Except he fell asleep on the sofa. Violet saw her dad's tattoo and decided to scribble some ink on his other arm too while he was sleeping.

Jake's arm sported some sloppy happy faces with sunshine rays that eventually washed off after a couple of days. Violet also painted "blue socks"' on her feet. Her creativity expanded to the living room wall.

I couldn't believe he slept through all this.

When I told Mom on the phone, she responded by saying, "Your daughter is exactly like how you were at that age."

The markers and paints were one of the presents she received when we invited the kids at day care to her birthday party. Afterward, I told my friends and family that if they planned on buying markers or paints for Violet, that they should buy washable! Only washable!

Jake was a great dad. We had a fenced swimming pool, and he spent time teaching Violet to swim. He was a wonderful guy with strong family values, and I loved him for it.

As cliched as is sounds, I married my best friend in life. Together, we put our small family first, above anything and anyone else, because this was what we valued together.

We didn't always see eye to eye on some of the smaller issues of raising a child-Jake didn't think it was necessary for kids to bathe every day, but my nose was sensitive to bad smells. However, we worked hard to build a solid and strong foundation.

We did a marriage course and learned each other's love languages. I preferred receiving acts of service, while Jake needed physical touch. He was a gift giver and I gave back by touch, to show intimacy and love.

We also learned to communicate more effectively. I needed to be more assertive and to say what I meant. He needed to meet me midway on the bridge to see my point of view.

Starting a relationship was the easy part. Making it grow was hard work. I called it "heart work".

We had been going to the local church where we both helped out with the toddler group, which Violet was part of, during Sunday services.

"You're a real giver," Kath said when she and Kessler came to visit us. They moved interstate to Kessler's home city, where he's close to his mom, sister, and niece. Kath was studying for her Master's in Archaeology, and Kessler was teaching ninth graders at a high school.

"I don't know how you do it, handling all these kids," she said as she watched the toddlers in the playgroup.

"It's not that hard," I said. "They're really like grown-ups. Each has their own temperament, preferences and needs. Some are more vocal than others."

"How cute!" Kath let out a giggle.

I looked at her. Her clothes were loose and her hands were on her abdomen.

"Kath, is there something you want to tell me?"

She gave me a secretive smile.

"I'm twelve weeks pregnant," she said.

"Kathleen! That's fantastic news!"

"He's going to put a ring on it," she shyly admitted. "It's not going to be a big wedding, but it will be after the baby is born next summer. I hope you and Jake can come."

"Of course, we'll be there!" I gave Kath a big hug, and we tried to high-five but missed.

"We're such klutzes," she said, while we laughed.

Jake and Leon celebrated the news later that afternoon with a cold beer and some pizza. I made Kath caffeine-free tea and we ate my favorite dessert-chocolate pudding.

Chocolate pudding reminded me of home. Of my dad. He used to make me chocolate pudding and a cup of hot cocoa with little marshmallows when I was in high school.

It would be a while before we saw Kath and Kessler again-on their wedding day with their little baby boy in tow.

---

Jake and I invited some of the old gang to a summer pool party at our place on one Saturday afternoon.

Dean and Carrie came along, as well as Greg, Zach, Lindy and Philly.

"Dang, girl! Dean is smoking hot," I commented to Carrie when he took his shirt off and jumped in the pool.

I had only seen Dean with his shirt on. He sometimes met up with Jake after work for drinks, while Carrie came over to watch movies at my place after Violet was asleep on Friday evenings.

When Jake and Dean came through the doorway, we would tell them to tone it down and not wake up Violet. Some guys didn't realize how loud they were when they were tipsy or drunk.

When Dean took his shirt off at the pool party, he created a little stir among us girls. I noticed Greg was checking him out too while he talked to Jake and Zach. Don't get me wrong, I was in love with Jake, but it was hard to miss Dean's muscled features.

Lindy pulled her sunglasses down to peer at Dean, while Philly stared at him shamelessly, mouth gaping wide open.

"He's packing it down there too," Philly said, as she watched him come out of the pool, with his wet board shorts clinging to his body.

"Philly! Watch your mouth, girl!" Lindy chastised her.

We stared at Carrie; three sets of eyes looked at her, to be exact.

She simply smiled and picked up her magazine.

Two hours later, after everyone had eaten and the sun was going down, people were leaving.

I hugged the girls goodbye and Jake took Violet to the bathroom.

As the guys were leaving, Zach joked that he hoped it wouldn't be too long before we all caught up again.

"It will be soon," I said.

---

The next morning, Jake got a phone call from Zach's brother.

Zach was dead.

He was cycling home from our place, when he was hit by a car.

The man driving the car was talking on his mobile phone while driving.

The internal injuries were so severe that Zach didn't make it.

I put down my glass of water and processed the news.

Jake and I were in shock.

It was only yesterday that we had seen Zach, so chatty, cheerful, and full of life.