ode to life | cameron dallas

Chapter 37: Matthew

Matthew, 2026

Dallas, Texas

It was a scorching hot afternoon in Dallas, the perfect weather for frozen yogurt and flip flops. The sun hung low as the humidity in the thick air embraced the sticky bodies that decided to spend the day outdoors. On the outskirts of a local ice cream parlor sat the infamous Matthew Espinosa and a girl.

Matt watched intensely as her fragile fingers slowly gripped the miniature stacked brick that stood before them on the table. The girl bit her bottom lip as she very carefully, detached the wooden bar from its tower.

"Caaaareful," Matt hummed, trying his very best not to distract her.

"I know," she whispered dramatically. The two kept their focus on the tower, faces inches away from eachother.

In a matter of crucial seconds, the girl gently pulled the brick apart in one swift movement, which unfortunately caused the entire brick tower to collapse and hit the glass table. The two flinched back to their seats and erupted in disappointed, yet excessive laughter.

"JENGA!" Matt shrieked, prideful to the fact that this was the third round he had won.

"I know, I know, I know. You always win. It's no fun," the girl whined.

"This takes years of practice. You'll learn one day, young grasshopper."

The girl rolled her brown eyes as she collected the fallen bricks back to the center of the table. "I'm winning this next round."

"I don't think so, babes. Our flight leaves in two hours. We still need to go home and pack."

"I hate packing! And weddings."

"And when have you ever actually gone to a wedding?"

"Why do I have to go?" She nagged.

"Because Cameron Dallas is a very old, very special friend of mine, love."

"You have friends?"

"Ha-ha, very funny, Mabel." He dipped a finger into his ice cream cone and wiped it on her nose.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Can you at least tell me what Spain's like?"

Matt sat there for a moment, trying to think of the last time he visited Europe, or the last time he traveled, at that. It's been ages since he actually enjoyed life or did leisurely activities.

Throughout the years, Matt was one of the only boys that grew out of the business and actually lived a humble lifestyle. He was still wealthy, but it was because he actually went to college and pursued a stable career. It was mostly the fact that he had became a father that took a huge toll in his life, giving him the reality that he had to settle somewhere.

"Well there's a lot of castles in Spain. You'll feel like you're in a fairy tale."

"Like with princesses and queens and kings?" Mabel asked excitedly.

"Yeah, sort of like that," Matt replied. "A place for love stories."

"Daddy?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Is that where you and mommy met?"

Matt instantly looked up, catching a glimpse of Mabel's hopeless eyes. She immediately broke eye contact and stared at the knotted fingers on her lap. A silence filled the humid air, that seemed to suddenly make it hotter. Matt cleared his throat.