“To be honest,” she admits, “my mom doesn’t even know I’m here. She’d be pretty pissed if she did.”
“Oh. Right. That makes sense.” I lean against the opposite counter to give her space. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I wanted to say I’m sorry. For telling my mom about what I saw that time I came over and found your lip gloss. I kind of already knew it was yours. I recognized it from when you were babysitting Jack. But I told her anyway, and I had no idea she’d blow up on you and Dad like that.Orfire you from the babysitting job.”
“Tabby, it’s not your fault,” I say. “At all. We were the ones sneaking around like we were guilty of something when we weren’t.”
Her brows raise in question, so I elaborate.
“Your dad and I have very real feelings for each other. I’m not sorry for dating him. But I am sorry for how you found out about it. That wasn’t fair to you.”
“I’m not mad. I mean, it’s kinda weird. Because you were my brother’s babysitter and everything,” she says with a half-shrug. “But I always liked you. I thought you were cool. Way better than my mom’s boyfriend Fred. He’s a real jerk.”
I can’t help but smile at that. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she says, then rolls her eyes. “He acts like he’s our dad or something, but he’s not. He’s just... so condescending and annoying.”
We’re quiet for a moment, letting it sink in that we’ve cleared the air. Then she clears her throat and probes a little further.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Um, sure.”
“Did you and my dad start dating because you were the babysitter? Like, is that how it happened?”
I shake my head immediately. “No. Not at all. Your dad was kind to me before he even knew I was the babysitter. Before I was even hired by your mom. We met through the club, and things just... grew from there.” I hold her gaze, hoping she’ll understand. “It wasn’t like that, I promise.”
Tabitha breathes out a sigh of relief. “Okay. Good. I just wish my mom wasn’t so judgmental about everything. She’s convinced Dad is only dating you to get some kind of revenge on her. Which is stupid.”
“Yeah,” I agree softly. “It is. Your Dad isn’t like that. He still cares about you and Jack—and your mom—so much.”
“Yeah, I know. He’s taken forever to move on… even if I always knew he would eventually,” she says, straightening up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Anyway, this conversation is just between us, okay? I don’t want my mom finding out I came here.”
“Of course,” I say. “Our secret.”
She heads for the door, and I follow her. But before she reaches it, I’m the one who takes a chance and asks a question.
“Hey, Tabby?”
She turns back. “Yeah?”
“I was wondering if maybe... next time it’s your dad’s weekend to have you and Jack... maybe we could all go out together? For pizza or tacos or something? Only if you’d want to, obviously. No pressure. If you both prefer I stay away for the weekend you’re here, I get it.”
Her face lights up with a genuine smile. “That would be fun, actually. Isn’t your play this upcoming Saturday?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“That’s when Dad has us. Maybe he can bring me and Jack to watch it,” she suggests. “Then we can go for pizza after?”
“I’d like that,” I say, matching her smile. “A lot.”
“Cool. It’s a plan, then. Jack’ll be so excited. He loved you as his babysitter. Said you were the most fun to play his dumb video games with.”
She waves goodbye and slips out the door, heading down the porch steps toward the street. I watch her go, leaning against the doorframe.
As dark and complicated as things have been, there are moments like this that remind me we can rebuild from what’s happened.
Maybe the worst really is behind us…
