Henry Archer finds a way to reestablish a relationship with his step-daughter. Henry Archer desires to know his step-daughter Thalia better and a chance call from Thalia's gold-digging mother presents the opportunity. Twenty-five years have passed since Henry and Denise were together. When Denise left him she ripped out his heart not because she was exiting she was a gold digging witch, but because she took her daughter Thalia whom he adored and made it impossible for him to even know if the precocious girl was doing okay.
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Denise had been with her next husband twenty four years when he died from heart problems. His son's took everything. She swears she was s good step-mom but Henry is sure her step parenting paled in comparison to what he had given Thalia when all those years ago. Denise calls Henry and he did what he believed to be the right thing and sent Denise a condolence card on the loss of her husband. Instead of saying thank you with the standard card people send out when still heavy with grief, Denise called and hasn't stopped yet.
Henry figures out why the picture on Denise's mantel looks familiar. It has to be a grown Thalia and he's seen her around town. He racks his brain figuring out where. It finally hits him. She's the receptionist where he goes to have his hair shampooed! He plans to introduce himself the next time he goes in for a hair cut. That's ten days down the road, after seeing Denise hasn't changed one bit it's he needs to know Thalia hasn't been scarred by her mother's greed. He calls and makes an appointment for a manicure that very day.
He acknowledges Thalia when she offers to take his coat. As he is manicured he thinks about ways to formally introduce himself. He need not have worried Thalia knows his name and had pieced things together for herself.
Henry and Thalia develop a fast relationship with her as adult. They love each other. Henry doesn't have biological children and has always felt shafted by Denise. He visits Thalia and decides her meager digs won't do. He invites to move into the basement apartment previously reserved for servants.
Thalia gets an acting opportunity to play the love interest of a horror movie star who needs to break of being typecast. The socially awkward is a year shy of forty and has been dating a high school senior who is president of her schools abstinence club. The deal is that he will openly date Thalia for six months, dump her for a prettier girl. Date the new chick for six months and break up with her. By this time his real girlfriend will be eighteen and their age gap will not be as relevant.
Thalia is a funny woman who can break into character quickly. With Henry in tow he represents her legal interest and the plan goes into action.
Henry and Todd are introduced to each other by Denise, whom Todd dated and of course Henry was once married to. They form a quick dating relationship. Todd isn't out to his eighty-year-old mother who he lives with. Henry seeks to change that real quick. He refuses to be with someone who isn't being authentic. He lost Thalia years ago when Denise suddenly remarried and Henry was painted as a possible child abuser.
Todd's mother has always known she was just waiting on Todd to tell his truth in his own time. She meets Thalia and they all enjoy meals together. Thalia can't keep her mouth shut about her job and she falls for the moving man which creates a dilemma for her contract. She likes the guy and tells him whatever he reads in the paper or sees on social media is all part of her new job.
Henry does damage assessment as best he can with Thalia being a youthful twenty nine she sees nothing wrong with expressing her sexuality and living her life to the fullest.
Denise starts dropping by unannounced to seek legal advice and friendship from Henry even though she and Thalia are not on speaking terms.
Thalia gets pregnant by her acting partner and with a host of surrogate grandparents the least likely couple makes wedding plans. Todd moves in with Henry much to his mother's delight. When she dies her son will be with a family man who loves him. Denise and Thalia make peace. Henry is delighted that things have worked out against the odds.
Best part of story, including ending:
I really liked Henry's directness.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene was how easily Todd's mom accepted his sexuality.
Opinion about the main character:
I disliked Thalia's promiscuity.
