Page 57 of Shattered

“Really?” She looks at him with big eyes. “What a good boy you are.”

“Yes. I’m a big boy,” he says proudly, causing my smile to widen.

Navi chuckles. “You are.”

Then, a little more quietly, I admit, “It was covered in cheese, so it’s probably not the greatest.”

She lowers him to his feet. “Hey, a win is a win. It’s more than I’ve been able to get him to eat.”

I grab his backpack from the backseat and make sure nothing has fallen out before handing it over to her.

“Okay, buddy. I’ll see you in five days.”

“Daddy stay?”

I lift him into my arms, hugging him close. “No, Adi. I have to go. You stay here with Mommy.”

He begins to pout, making my heart squeeze, but it only halfway forms when I point to Ethan standing in the doorway. He likes Ethan, and they have fun together.

I kiss Adi’s cheek, squeeze him a little tighter, then put him down before directing him toward the door with a pat on his butt. “See you soon,” I call as he runs off.

“All right. I’ll see you Friday.” Navi leans in for a hug. “Drive safe.”

“Yep, see you.”

With a wave, she walks inside, and I settle back into the driver’s seat. I can't resist pulling out my phone before starting my drive, and I see Sienna’s name on the screen. Immediately, a fluttering sensation fills my body. It’s that same type of rush I remember feeling many years ago when we used to text.

Sienna: Ooh, I liked that one as well. Maybe we could watch it together sometime!

Sienna: I think mine is still The Ugly Truth.

I squint, trying to think of why that sounds familiar to me, and then it hits me that it’s the movie we once watched together. Well, part of it, anyway.

I’m still smiling at my phone when another text comes through, but this time it’s from Jason, as if I needed that little reminder of who Sienna is.

Jason: You said you’re coming to Plainfield tonight to drop Adi off, right?

Me: I just dropped him off, actually.

Jason: Oh, shit. I was too late. I’m at Mom and Dad’s, and they wanted to see him.

Jason: You should still stop by if you’re close. They’re still in the same house. I know they’d like to see you as well.

I absently reach for my belt and buckle it in while rereading his text. I always liked his parents, and I often wondered how they were doing and if they knew what happened between us. But I don’t know how I feel about visiting them. Wouldn’t it be weird?

I had planned on heading straight home and getting prepared for the week. But I think about the empty house waiting for me, and for some reason, it doesn’t seem quite as appealing.

Me: Okay. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.

Jason: Sweet.

A wave of nostalgia hits me as I walk up to the front door a few minutes later, nerves stirring around the dinner I had earlier. I’m almost tempted to turn around and tell Jason that something came up, but I’m already here, so I inhale a deep breath and knock on the door.

I haven’t been here since the day Sienna closed this very door in my face. I glance at the sunflower sticker that has faded with time, and I think about how all the bad feelings associated with that time have also been fading.

Kate is the one to answer the door, and when she sees me, she lifts a hand to her chest. “Neil. It’s been too long.” Then, immediately, she brings me in for a motherly hug, holding me tight, as if she really has missed me. I was here multiple times a week when I was younger; she fed me and looked after me like I was one of her own kids. And then I was just . . . gone.

I briefly contemplate correcting her and telling her that I go by my full name now, but then decide it doesn’t really matter. “Hi, Mrs. Morgan.”

---