“Can You Pretend to Be My Date for a Day?” Poor Woman Asked a Single Dad—What He Said Next Changed…

The Family Day Performance

That night, Isla showed up at Wyatt’s house at 7:00. They sat at his kitchen table with notebooks like they were cramming for the world’s weirdest exam.

They tried to build a fake relationship history that would hold up under questioning from nosy co-workers and corporate executives. They decided they met at the supermarket when he was buying groceries and he asked her out.

They’d been dating 8 months, which matched Mrs. Duncan’s timeline. They got completely stuck on the proposal story.

Nora, who was supposed to be in bed, yelled down the stairs.

“It should be romantic! Like when Superman saves Lois Lane and they just know they’re supposed to be together!”

Both adults cracked up laughing. Somewhere around 9:00, after they covered favorite foods and colors, Isla told him about putting herself through community college while working full-time.

She was sending money home for her dad’s heart medication. Wyatt shared that he’d grown up in foster care and met his wife, Claire, when he was 23.

She’d seen something in him nobody else had. They had Nora when he was 28. Claire passed away from an illness when Nora was only three years old.

He’d been doing the single dad thing for about 4 years now.

“So you’ve been raising her completely alone this whole time?” Isla asked quietly.

Wyatt nodded.

“Yeah. Hardest thing I ever did, but Nora is the best thing that ever happened to me. She keeps me going even on the days I don’t want to get out of bed.”

Isla reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

“She’s really lucky to have you.”

Wyatt felt his throat get tight.

“I’m lucky to have her. And honestly, I’m lucky you walked into my shop today even if the circumstances are completely insane.”

As Isla was leaving around 9:30, she spoke.

“See you tomorrow, fake fiance.”

“See you tomorrow,” Wyatt replied. “And Isla, we got this. I promise.”

After she drove away, Nora appeared at the top of the stairs in her princess pajamas.

“Dad, I really, really like her. She’s nice and pretty and she laughs at your jokes even when they’re not that funny. Can she please be your real girlfriend after this is over?”

Wyatt scooped up his daughter and carried her back to bed.

“Mom would like her, I can tell,” Nora said. “You always tell me Mom used to say we should help people and be happy. Isla needs help and she makes you smile, so Mom would totally approve.”

Wyatt had to blink really hard. His kid barely ever mentioned Claire, and when she did, it always hit him sideways.

He tucked Nora in and she whispered.

“Happy tears are okay, Dad.”

It was like she could read his mind. After he closed her door, he stood in the hallway thinking.

Tomorrow was supposed to be 4 hours of pretending to be in love with a stranger and then back to normal life. Why did the idea of never seeing Isla again make his chest feel weirdly tight?

Maybe his daughter was right. Maybe Claire would approve. That thought felt like permission he didn’t even know he’d been waiting for.

Saturday morning hit and Wyatt picked up Isla in his freshly washed truck at 10:30. Nora was buckled in the back seat, practically vibrating with excitement.

She wore her favorite purple dress. She had announced at breakfast that if she was going to help her dad pretend to be in love, she needed to look fancy.

Isla climbed into the passenger seat wearing a simple blue dress she’d borrowed from her younger sister. She looked nervous enough to pass out.

She kept running through their cover story under her breath like she was preparing for a test.

“We met at the supermarket. You asked me out three times before I said yes. We’ve been together 8 months. Your favorite color is blue because of your truck.”

Wyatt reached over and took her hand without even thinking about it.

“Breathe. I got you. We’re going to be fine.”

The handholding felt way too natural for two people who’d known each other approximately 18 hours.

The Maplewood Fresh Mart lot was completely decorated with balloons, tables, and a corporate banner. It said: “Celebrating Our Family.”

There were easily 75 people already there. Employees and their families were scattered around eating from buffet tables and playing lawn games.

Wyatt felt Isla’s hand tighten on his as they walked toward the crowd. Mrs. Duncan spotted them immediately and came rushing over.

She was exactly how Isla had described her: 60-some with big hair and an even bigger personality. Her face lit up like she just won the lottery.

“Isla, oh my goodness gracious! Is this him? Is this your fiance? And who is this absolutely precious angel?”

Mrs. Duncan was talking at volume 11. Nora stepped forward with her hand stuck out exactly like Wyatt had taught her.

“I’m Nora Freeman. Wyatt’s my dad. It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am. That’s a really pretty necklace you’re wearing.”

Mrs. Duncan literally clutched her chest like her heart couldn’t take the cuteness.

“Oh, you didn’t tell me he had such a polite daughter! And look at you, you’re even more handsome than she described!”

Mrs. Duncan was grilling Wyatt with questions before he could even say hello. She wanted to know what he did for work and all the details.

Wyatt started with their rehearsed story about meeting in the cereal aisle, but then something made him deviate from the script.

“She had this smile that just completely stopped me in my tracks. I asked her out right there by the Cheerios and she shot me down flat.”

“Told me she didn’t date customers. So I kept coming back every single week buying the same box of cereal I don’t even like until she finally agreed to get coffee with me just to make me stop pestering her.”

Isla’s head whipped around to stare at him because that was absolutely not the story they’d practiced. But Mrs. Duncan was eating it up.

“Oh, how romantic! Persistence! I love a man who knows what he wants.”

Isla jumped in, improvising right along with him.

“He was very persistent. Kept showing up every Saturday morning at 9:15 like clockwork. I finally said yes just to see if he was for real or just bored.”

Wyatt grinned at her.

“Turns out I was very for real. Best decision I ever made was buying cereal I hate for two months straight.”

They were riffing off each other like they’d been doing this for years instead of making it up on the spot. Mrs. Duncan wandered off to greet other people.

They stood there holding hands and trying not to laugh. The corporate VP, Mr. Brennan, came over about 20 minutes later.

He was all business in khakis and a polo shirt with the company logo. He shook Wyatt’s hand and asked what he did for a living.

When Wyatt said he owned an auto repair shop, Mr. Brennan nodded approvingly.

“Good honest work. We need more young people willing to work with their hands these days. You found yourself a good one, Isla.”

The event had all these couple activities planned. Wyatt and Isla got roped into a three-legged race.

Their legs got tied together with a bandana. They were stumbling and laughing. Isla nearly took them both down twice, but somehow they actually won.

When they crossed the finish line, they hugged. It lasted just a beat too long. Long enough that Wyatt could smell her shampoo and feel her heart racing against his chest.

Nora was screaming from the sidelines.

“That’s my dad! That’s my Isla! They’re the best!”

Other employees were clapping and cheering. For a second, Wyatt forgot this whole thing was fake because it felt so incredibly real.

Then came couples trivia. They should have absolutely bombed it because they’d only known each other a day. But somehow they kept getting questions right.

“What’s your partner’s favorite food?”

They both said pizza at the same time.

“What’s your partner’s biggest fear?”

Wyatt said without hesitating.

“Letting people down and not being enough.”

Isla’s eyes got shiny because how did this stranger already see her so clearly? They won the trivia too.

Mrs. Duncan announced over the microphone.

“Look at our love birds! So in sync. This is what true love looks like, folks.”

Isla felt her stomach twist with guilt. All these nice people thought they were witnessing something real when it was an elaborate performance.

Around 2:00 in the afternoon, Isla excused herself to use the bathroom. On her way back, she overheard two of her co-workers talking by the drink table.

“Did you see Isla’s fiance? He’s gorgeous and the way he looks at her… I’m so jealous.”

The other one replied.

“I know, right? Single dad mechanic who clearly worships the ground she walks on. She hit the jackpot.”

Isla had to duck around the corner because she felt like she was going to be sick. None of it was real.

This man didn’t worship her. He was just being kind enough to help a desperate stranger. Tomorrow he’d go back to his life and she’d go back to hers.

Nora spent the entire event holding Isla’s hand and introducing her to other kids.

“This is my dad’s fiancee, Isla. She’s going to be my stepmom soon. Isn’t she pretty?”

One little boy said.

“You’re so lucky. My stepmom is mean.”

Nora replied very seriously.

“Isla’s not mean. She’s the best. She already loves my dad so much, I can tell by the way she smiles at him.”

Isla felt like the worst person on the planet lying to this sweet kid who just wanted her dad to be happy. Around 3:00, Wyatt found Isla standing alone near the parking lot.

She looked like she was going to cry. He walked over and spoke gently.

“Hey, you okay? We’re almost done. You pulled it off perfectly.”

Isla shook her head. Her voice came out tight and stressed.

“This was a huge mistake, Wyatt. Nora thinks this is real. All these co-workers think we’re actually in love.”

“All these people are good people and I’m lying to every single one of them. I feel like absolute garbage.”

Wyatt started to say something.

“You’re just doing what you have to do to keep your job.”

But Isla cut him off.

“That doesn’t make it right. I’m a liar and I dragged you into being a liar too.”

Before she could finish, Mrs. Duncan’s voice came crackling over the microphone. She called everyone’s attention to the main pavilion.

“Before we wrap up today, I want to recognize some very special people.”

“Isla Chen has been with Maplewood Fresh Mart for six wonderful years. She’s one of our hardest workers and she’s getting married soon to this lovely man.”

“Let’s give them a big round of applause!”

Everyone started clapping. Isla wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, but Mrs. Duncan wasn’t done.

“I’m thrilled to announce that corporate has approved my recommendation to promote Isla to assistant manager effective immediately. Congratulations, honey! You earned this.”

The applause got louder and people were coming up to congratulate her. Isla was smiling and saying thank you, but inside she was completely panicking.

This promotion was huge—more money, better hours, and actual benefits. But it was all based on a lie about being engaged to a man she’d met yesterday.