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“Him buyed it at dah store.”

With a smile, I run my hand over his blond hair. Another trait he earned from Amelia. “How was your day, buddy?”

“Good. Did you worked?”

“I did. Nailed a big deal, too.” I hold my hand up, and he leaps to high five.

“Wanna pway wace wif me?”

“Let me get showered and finish up some paperwork real quick, and I’ll go a couple laps with you.”

“Yay!” He jumps up and down and throws himself at me.

Arms wrapped around him, I pull him in for a hug and kiss his cheek.

A figure sweeps by us as Amelia makes her way into his bedroom. “Okay, Roark, bath time.”

The two of us don’t speak much, with me being gone most of the day, but she doesn’t sleep as much as she did for a while there. Lately, she’s been up and dressed before ten, as I understand, and has even started taking Roark and Sampson for walks in the garden. We’ll never be what she imagined, but at least we won’t be what I imagined, either. Hands stuffed in her pocket, hair pulled back in a loose bun, she wears jeans and a flowy top that isn’t what she would’ve worn ten years ago. She looks older. Still pretty, but aged with stress.

“How’d it go today?” My mother must’ve filled her in, as I certainly didn’t tell her what was on my agenda.

Even so, I answer, “Fine. You?”

“Fine.”

An awkward silence follows, as it always does. Usually, she tries to fill in the gap with benign conversation about the weather, or my office. Most of the time, I think she’s looking for me to slip and tell her I’m fucking someone at work. Tonight, I don’t give her the chance.

“I’ve got some paperwork to finish.” Directing my attention back toward Roark, I point at him, backing myself toward the door. “I’ll see you in a few, buddy. Get in a couple warmup laps, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

“Lucian,” she calls after me, bringing my escape to a halt. “I was thinking … if you’re up for it tomorrow. Maybe we could have dinner? Together? Nothing special. Just … catching up.”

On four years of ignoring each other? Two of those years I spent resenting her. The three of us have never eaten as a family. I either grab something on the way home from the office, or eat alone later, after everyone’s already gone to bed.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough. I’m going to go to bed after Roark’s bath. Can you make sure he gets to sleep?”

“Yeah. Where’s Anna?”

“I gave her the night off. Just trying to get …” Gaze cast downward, she shakes her head. “Never mind.”

“Trying to get what?”

“Back to being a mother.” It’s strange to hear those words from her, considering she spent the first year of Roark’s life avoiding the role. “I don’t want my son to be raised by someone else.”

Tight lipped, I nod in approval, though I haven’t been around Amelia much these days to know what kind of responsibility that might be on her.

“Anyway, let me know about tomorrow.”

“I will. ‘Night.”

* * *

“Your father is incredibly proud of you.” My mother stands in the doorway, arms crossed, while I sit hunched over the small bit of paperwork I’m hustling to finish so I can hang out with Roark, as promised.

“I’m sure he is. All the more reason to toss this shit aside.”