I chuckled. “You can’t imagine how many messes I’ve made,” I said honestly.
“Messes we can help you clean up,” Rory added. “And if you need discipline sometimes, we can give that to you, too.” He turned to me, then nodded with a confident smile. “We’re still learning about this side of Franklin, too. I think the real fun will be in figuring this out together.”
Asher smiled. His lips were still raw and puffy, and his hair stuck up in every direction. “That sounds nice.”
“We can talk about other ways to take care of you,” I said. “And ways to bring you into our life more, when the time is right.”
Asher nodded quickly. “I’ve already thought about that a lot.”
“You have?” Rory asked.
He nodded again. “I know I can’t start spending every night at your house or anything like that. I understand that Ava is going to be the priority for the next few years. But I want you both to know I’m not just going to wait around.” He pulled himself up a little higher, the pillows supporting his weight. “I’m going to save up money and get my own apartment and show you that I can make it my own.”
“Asher,” Rory said, his voice clear and even, “I think that’s a wonderful idea. But you know you don’t have to do this all alone.”
“It’s not for you,” he said. “At least, not exactly. I do want to show you that I can do it, but more than that, I need to prove it to myself. I need to know I can find work and support myself without turning back to the life Daryl dragged me into it.” He took in a deep breath, expanding his chest. “I need to know I’m strong enough.”
In an instant, I was thrown back to when I was his age. I’d relied so quickly on Rory to pull me together, but it wasn’t until I opened Northstar and found a path of my own that I truly felt like I had grown and become the man I was supposed to be.
“You’re a very smart kid, Asher,” I said. “Whatever you want to accomplish, I know you will.”
“Just don’t forget,” Rory said, patting his leg. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. That’s what we’re here for, after all. That’s what a good Daddy does.”
“To pick me up when I fall down, and always cheer me on,” Asher said.
“Precisely,” I agreed. “Just like you’ll be there for us in your own ways, too.”
Asher sucked in an uneven breath, then smiled to himself again, his whole body relaxing. I realized that for once, he wasn’t fighting back tears or glancing at the door like he might run away.
“Just like I’ll be there for you,” he repeated with a smile.
