Page 114 of The Shots You Take

“What would they evendohere?” Lucy asked.

“They could eat Thai food,” Adam said, almost through gritted teeth. “Watch TV?”

“Oh my god, Dad,” Cole moaned.

“I have a pool! You could swim here with your friends in the summer.”

“We have a pool at home too.”

“And Sprite,” Cole added.

“Would you stop saying ‘home’ as if this house isn’t your home too? I’m yourdad.”

“This house doesn’t even have, like, decorations,” Lucy said. “It’s depressing.”

“It has some,” Adam argued weakly.

“Dad,” Lucy said, her tone softening as if she was talking to a small child, “we love you and everything, but we don’t need to have sleepovers with you anymore. We’re just, like, too old for that.”

Adam wanted to snap back that these weren’t “sleepovers,” this was a shared custody arrangement, and they were supposed to live with him for something close to half the time. But the kids had been less and less interested in spending time with Adam as they’d gotten older, and he hadn’t fought them or Maggie on it. But he wanted to have them heresometimes.

“I miss you guys, though,” Adam tried.

“But couldn’t we just come over for dinner or whatever and then go home? Like, we can walk there from here.”

“You’re not walking anywhere at night.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Dad, we do it all the time.”

Adam didn’t like hearingthat. “What? Where? Alone?”

“With friends, or whatever. Anyway, can we just eat the food?”

“You’re not leaving after you eat.”

“But—”

“No. I’m sorry, but you’re stuck with me tonight. I planned this with your mom, and—”

“Great,” Cole grumbled.

“So Mom doesn’t want us to come home?” Lucy asked angrily.

Oh god. Adam had no idea what to say here. “Of course she wants you at home. She might have plans tonight, though.”

“So?” Cole said. “We stay home alone all the time.”

“Maybe she wants the house to herself,” Adam blurted out without thinking.

“Oh,” Lucy said. “Gross.”

“What?” Cole asked.

“Nothing,” said Adam.

“She’s having a romantic evening withEthan,” Lucy said.

Cole wrinkled his nose.

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