Page 19 of Perfect Imperfections

“Hi, Angel.” He hustled over to the line, which was quickly becoming a blob of children. “Did you have a good day today at school?”

“Yeah, we had a spelling test, and I only missed one word. And in art we made paper matches flowers!”

“I think you mean papier mâché.”

“Oh, right.”

Charlotte launched into a whirlwind explanation of her day as he smiled at the after-care teacher and signed her out on the clipboard. Her boisterous chatter lasted all the way to the car and the twelve-minute drive home.

“Okay, Angel, I want you to put your backpack away and wash up for dinner,” he said as he pulled the car into the garage and shut off the engine.

“Daddy, Ellie is coming over tonight, right?”

“That’s right.”

Charlotte squealed with glee as she unbuckled herself and slid out of her booster seat. He got out and walked around the car. But as always, she’d already opened her door and had hopped out.

“Uh, uh.” He nodded to the interior of the car as she went to shut to door. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Her pale brows furrowed, green eyes staring in confusion until recognition dawned. “Oh, right.”

As she did every day, Charlotte reached back in the car to grab her backpack from the floor. If he didn’t remind her, that thing would live in his SUV. Homework would never get done and leftover lunch would rot. His daughter was always so excited about life she sometimes forgot things. Typical seven-year-old. He didn’t mind reminding her. That was his job, after all.

He used his keys to unlock the garage door, and they headed inside to discover a man sitting at the kitchen counter sipping on a soda. Sullivan wasn’t surprised. He’d seen his brother’s car parked outside the house. He knew Gavin would have let himself in using the spare key Sullivan had given him.

“Uncle Gavin!” Charlotte squealed again, running into the kitchen, arms wide open.

Gavin slid off the barstool and crouched down, allowing the tiny girl to plow into him as he faked falling over with a laugh.

“Wow, Cheeky Monkey. When did you become so strong? I think you broke my shoulder.”

Charlotte laughed as he scooped her up in a bear hug. “You’re silly.”

Sullivan hung his keys on the wall hook. “Nice to see you’ve made yourself at home. And that better not be the last of the root beer you’re drinking.”

“Well, hello to you too, brother. Hard day at the office?”

No. Most days were fairly smooth in private practice. He’d left the chaos of the ER behind him after Charlotte was born. His annoyance at seeing his brother in his living space had nothing to do with his day and everything to do with his plans for the evening.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, ignoring his younger brother’s baiting.

Gavin shifted Charlotte onto his back. “Came to see if you and Charlotte wanted to grab dinner.”

It wasn’t unusual for his brother to stop by for dinner. He lived in a duplex a few minutes away and came by often. Since their parents died a decade ago, the brothers kept a tight bond.

“Can’t tonight.”

“Why? You have a hot date?” His brother’s chuckles turned to shock when Sullivan said nothing. Hazel eyes, inherited from their father, widened. “Holy shit, you do have a hot date.”

“I do not, and don’t swear in front of Charlotte.”

“It’s okay, Daddy,” the sweet girl said, peeking out from behind her uncle’s back. “You said the S word in the car. Remember?”

“Road rage, big brother?”

He silently counted to ten in his head. It had been the day he picked up Charlotte from the zoo. That day. The one where his nerves were already riding high and his patience thin. Some jackass had cut him off, nearly swiping his fender. He might have uttered a curse or two. Leave it to a kid to remember a naughty word from days ago but forget to hang up her coat every single day, even with a reminder.

“I was stressed.” He scowled at his brother, but then softened his face into a smile for his daughter. “But you’re right, Charlotte. Even when we’re upset, it’s not nice to swear. Can you go wash up now, please?”

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