“I’m fine, Em, I promise. If I wasn’t, I’d let you know.”
“Really? I see news reports about suicide rates among doctors and…”
“Hey.” I walk around the breakfast bar, tossing the rest of the apple into the bin as I go. I nudge her around so I can hug her. “I love my job. I take care of my mental health and my physical health. I am fine.”
She presses her forehead to my shoulder. “I know. I’m being silly.”
“You’re not.”
“I just don’t want to lose you.”
“Youwon’t.” I rub her back.
Her fears aren’t unfounded. We lost our dad when we were young, and, unfortunately, I’ve ended up looking more and more like him as I’ve got older. It’s not surprising that she’s transferring that pain into a fear of losing me.
“I don’t need to settle down and have kids to be happy, Em. I’m glad that you are, but this life—it’s not for me.”
She sniffs. “I know.”
“We’d better eat these pancakes before they get cold.”
“Set the table or round up the troops?”
“I make a great drill sergeant.”
She laughs. “Get to it, then, Sergeant Price.”
I go into the sitting room to get the kids. They’re glued to the TV and don’t notice me sneaking up behind them.
“Boo!”
They both squeal, and then Robbie bursts into a fit of giggles.
“Don’t do that!” Tabitha complains.
“Do it again!” Robbie urges as he laughs so hard he falls off the sofa.
“You okay, buddy?”
Still laughing, he nods.
I waggle my fingers. “Anyone who doesn’t want to be tickled had better run upstairs and tell your dad breakfast is ready.”
Tabitha jumps up and runs up the stairs while Robbie launches himself at me. I tickle him until he’s in utter hysterics, by which point Tabitha has come back down. Her dad, Aaron, joins us.
“Hey, Spence. Good night?”
“Great night.”
“Were you going to take the kids for ice cream today?”
“Ice cream?” Tabitha and Robbie shriek together.
“Uh…” I wasn’t going to.
Aaron grins at me. Bastard. I’ll have to thank him later for stitching me up.
“Sure,” I say. “Ice cream.”
