Violet immediately raised her hand. “My parents have the best divorce on the planet.”
That got her a round of chuckles, and she grinned. Even Pascal spared her a smile.
“I know it’s silly to brag about a divorce, but my mom and dad are still great friends, and they step in for each other when needed. They’ve never put my sister and me in the position of having to choose sides, like you so often hear, and I’m so grateful for that. And now they’ve both remarried, so I have a mom, a dad, and two stepdads.”
I chuckled. “Three dads? Isn’t that a little overkill?”
She shrugged. “Jason is really into all the outdoorsy stuff, so Dani and I kayak with him in the summer. Keaton is super smart and knows all about literature and things, so he often helps us with our homework. And my dad is just… He’s so steady, you know? You can count on him. He’s the sheriff, but he’s always there when I need him.”
“That’s beautiful,” Pascal said softly. His eyes met mine briefly before darting away.
Byron cleared his throat. “I agree that it’s a special divorce they have. My parents…” He swallowed thickly. “My mom is not a nice person, and she used me to hurt my dad, except I didn’t realize it until it was almost too late. But my dad forgave me, and now we’re closer than ever. Auden is amazing, and he’s teaching me the kind of stuff my dad isn’t into, like hunting. And I know it sounds too good to be true, but Jason is kind of a dad to metoo. Like, when he goes kayaking with Vi and Dani, he always asks if my brother and I want to come too. He calls us his bonus stepkids.”
He wasn’t wrong about it sounding too good to be true, but I couldn’t be happier for them that it had all worked out so well.
“Our daddy died,” Josiah, Gabe’s younger brother, said. He wasn’t attending every week, like Gabe, but I’d seen him a few times, and he was a great kid.
“He had cancer, right?” Pascal asked.
Josiah nodded. “I was really sad when he died, and I still miss him. My dad was grieving for a long time too.”
“That must’ve been hard for you boys to see,” I said. Doc Everett was my general practitioner, and I’d gotten to know him as competent and kind.
“It was, but he’s happy again now. He’s engaged…to Tomás Banner.”
Ah, one-half of the Banner twins. Tomás and Tiago Banner were retired supermodels and Forestville’s most famous inhabitants. They weren’t my type, but damn, those men looked fine—one of those rare species that only grew more attractive as they aged, like David Beckham or George Clooney.
“He’s really nice,” Gabe said quickly, as if wanting to make sure we knew this wasn’t about Tomás’s fame.
Pascal nodded. “I’ve met them both. Tiago did a talk about being dyslexic at the library a few months ago. That was really encouraging for a lot of kids to hear.”
“What about you, Stanton?” Gabe asked. “Didn’t you ever want a family?”
“I’ve had relationships,” I said carefully. “Including a few more serious ones. But none that ever felt right for a big commitment like that. But now…” I smiled, thinking of all the dreams I’d been having lately, ones that featured Pascal andmaybe a kid or two. “I’d love to be a dad someday. Adoption, fostering, there are so many kids who need loving homes.”
A choked sound made me turn. Pascal was crying, tears streaming down his face. Oh crap, had I said something wrong?
Gabe jumped up. “Are you having another episode?”
Pascal laughed through his tears, the sound both happy and sad. “No, no. I’m fine. Just…being an idiot.”
An idiot? What was he talking about? What could’ve…?
Oh.
The teens looked confused, but I was starting to understand. The pieces were falling into place—his strange mood, his distance, that devastated look in his eyes. Somehow, he’d come to the conclusion I wouldn’t want a family.
I wasn’t one to show affection in front of the teens, but I couldn’t ignore Pascal now, not when the tears were still streaming down his face. I knelt before his chair and hugged him, ignoring the chorus of “Aww…”
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
“It’s okay,” I whispered in his ear. “We’ll talk after, okay?”
He nodded. I wiped the tears off his cheeks, then kissed his forehead before returning to my chair.
The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. As soon as the teens were gone—and they seemed to sense they shouldn’t linger today—Pascal turned to me. “I’m sorry.”
“What happened, honey?”
