“Hey.” I resisted the urge to grasp her wrist for emphasis. “I’m going to give you another hug just to shut you up, okay?” I wrap my arms around her. “Do not speak like that. I don’t doubt he’s a piece of shit, and someday, if you find you trust me enough, I’ll be here if you want to tell me about him. But for now, know one thing: Your children are amazing. And I say that with authority. They are smart and kind and curious.”
“You actually give amazing hugs. You’re like a big, strong teddy bear,” she said.
I smiled, though inwardly I was cringing. God, was there anything less sexy than a teddy bear? Not that I should even be thinking in those terms.
Sweeping that thought aside, I pulled her in for another hug an held her until her body relaxed.
And I made a plan.
When Wayne and I approached the front door later that night, my shoulders were tense and I was second-guessing myself. Was I overstepping? Was this inappropriate?
Maybe, but I’d try anyway, because there was a chance this would do some good.
A few seconds after I knocked, Ellie opened the door and made a beeline for Wayne who licked her face in greeting.
Celine immediately came to the door, always on alert, but when she saw me, her face softened.
The memory of holding her today hit me hard, and myneck heated. It had felt right. Like I was supposed to be doing it.
“I was wondering if I could talk to Julian,” I said.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Sure.”
She gestured for me to come inside. In the kitchen, Maggie, who was hunched over her math homework, gave me a big smile.
Julian sat next to her with his headphones on, building a Lego structure.
“Bud.” Celine squeezed his shoulder.
He looked up, and when his attention drifted to me, he took off his headphones.
“Hey, Julian,” I said, pulling out a chair. “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”
In response, his eyes widened.
“I don’t know if you heard, but at the Harvest Festival coming up. There’s this race.”
“The pumpkin race?” he blurted.
“Yes. It’s technically any gourd, but yes. See, my dad and I always competed in it when I was a kid. I miss doing it now that I’m an adult, so I was thinking I should get back into it.”
“It sounds so fun. Jacob is doing it with his dad,” he said, but then his shoulders slumped. “But I can’t because my dad’s in jail.”
“Julian,” Ellie screeched, her face blanching.
“Stop,” Maggie told her. “It’s the truth. Who cares if Josh knows?”
Ellie crossed her arms, huffing in answer.
“And while I could do it alone,” I said. “It’s not as much fun without a partner. And I don’t have any kids of my own.”
Julian’s eyes sparkled with hope, the simple expression making my chest ache.
“So I was thinking, do you want to do it with me? Be my race buddy?”
He jumped out of his chair, knocking the Lego creation to the ground. “Mama. Mama.” He pulled on the hem of Celine’s shirt. “Can I?”
She was peering down at him, her eyes glassy.