“Mommy, I fell!”

Mike glanced over at the woman and little girl next to him on the bench. He watched as she ran her fingers through the girl’s hair.

“Oh, it’s just a cut, and you’re not even crying! Look at how strong you are!” The woman praised her, leaving the girl with a smile as she ran back off into the park.

Mike’s gaze followed the little girl as she ran over to the slide, where his little sister, Abby, played at.

“Is that your daughter?” The woman’s voice spoke, causing him to look over again. The friendly smile and kind eyes of hers made him practically speechless.

“Y-Yeah,” he nodded. Abby wasn’t his daughter, but if he had to lie to strike up a conversation with her, he was ready to act like her dad.