Just Ares, PopPop’s ancient basset hound. These days, he’s napping away his long evenings with Ethan and Hattie.
Maybe my parents regret their distance now, but they’ve never changed their lifestyle. No big moves to reconnect with us as adults, either.
That’s whatever.
“Your mother can take you somewhere warm for a few days,” Kane says softly. He smiles, but his eyes are steel.
“We never like going away with her and you know it. It’s not like here!” Sophie pouts, her eyes glinting with tears.
Dan nods, folding his arms.
“Dad, this place is cool. We love it here. There’s a lake and a fort and I get to play my drums as much as I like. We get our homework done early and no one ever tells me to shut up so they can watch their dumb dating reality show or pose for another Reel.”
Ouch.
Kane scrubs a hand through his rain-dark hair.
“Little man, I hear you,” he says after a second.
“So can we stay?” they both ask.
He holds up a finger.
“For now. But you have to listen to everything I say, and you never leave my sight or Margot’s. You want to hang around with the adults, you’ll act like one.”
“Got it! You can count on us,” Dan promises.
I’m almost expecting him to fire off a crisp salute.
Kane ruffles his hair. “You’re a good kid.”
“Can I hit the drums now? I finished my chocolate.”
“Run along,” Kane says.
It’s like the danger is half forgotten with the way Dan bolts upstairs.
Kane watches him go, his posture tight and his mouth turned down.
My heart stings as he glances at me, holding my gaze for a long moment before looking away.
I can’t imagine how much it must hurt to hear his kids talking about his ex-wife that way, how complicated their situation must be.
Knowing that every time he delivers them to her, they feel so unwanted. Unloved.
Especially when he does everything he can to put them first.
Today, I was able to forget reality for a few heavenly hours.
This was a nasty wake-up call.
Kane Saint has a life beyond our little small-town fever dream.
He has kids to raise and an ex-wife who’s still part of the picture.
Danger aside, this situationship isn’t healthy.
We can’t keep playing make-believe without serious consequences.
