Page 41 of Skylar

There was a long pause before Cole said, “Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Now might be a good time to come,” Aiden told him. “Skylar has stuck around longer than I thought she would.”

“I got the feeling she wasn’t anymore interested in returning to Serenity than I am.”

“I think circumstances have made it somewhat impossible for her to leave.”

“What do you mean?”

Aiden sat down on the edge of his bed. “Well, though we are not legally Shiloh’s parents, we’re still biologically related to her, and it’s hard to walk away when Shiloh’s facing the cancer fight that she is. Though she might deny it, I think Skylar is emotionally engaged enough that she can’t run away.”

“And you?”

“I’m definitely unable to walk away. I would like to bemoreinvolved. But so far, I’m taking Skylar’s advice—which is more like a demand—that I not overstep my boundaries.”

“I have to say it’s a bit weird to think that you have a daughter, and Skylar has a daughter, and that they’re the same person.”

“You and me both, bro,” he said. “You and me both.”

“I don’t know Shiloh well.”

“Or at all,” Aiden said as he stood and made his way to the chest of drawers to pull out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

“Or at all,” Cole agreed.

“Maybe you should change that.”

“Maybe.”

Cole was definitely not going to commit to anything. They’d never really touched on his reluctance to return to Serenity, mainly because it hadn’t mattered one way or another to Aiden. Several times during the year—usually through the basketball season—Cole would send him tickets to home games, along with a ticket for him to fly to where Cole lived, to attend the games.

Now, however, he wanted his friend to consider coming home. Skylar had ended up coming home for more than just a couple of days, so it was possible that Cole might too.

As their conversation ended, Aiden realized how glad he was that he’d had the chance to chat with Cole. And that even though he’d had to deal with his friend’s anger at finding out what had happened, they’d gotten past it and come out the other side, still friends.

When he got upstairs, he found his mom stirring a pot on the stove, while Willow set the table.

“Uncle Aiden!” Willow cheered as she skipped over to greet him with a hug.

Aiden swung her up into his arms. “Gotta joke for me?”

Willow nodded, her pigtails dancing, then said, “What do you call a bear with no socks on?”

Aiden bounced her a couple of times. “I don’t know. What do you call him?”

“Bearfoot!”

Aiden chuckled. The jokes weren’t always funny to him as an adult, but Willow’s joy was infectious and always brought laughter, regardless.

As they ate the dinner his mom had prepared for them, Aiden recounted the phone call he’d had with Cole. His mom and dad had always liked Cole, and his mom had expressed more than once that she was glad that they’d kept in contact, regardless of their lives moving in different directions.

“Have you heard anything about Shiloh today?” his mom asked.

“No, but I think I’ll text Skylar to see if she knows anything. I don’t really feel comfortable going directly to Charli or Blake.”

“That’s understandable,” his mom said with a nod. “But hopefully with time, you’ll be able to communicate directly with them.”

“That will come in time,” he agreed. “But only if they want me to have more involvement in Shiloh’s life. I’m still not sure what they’re thinking.”

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