Page 84 of Single Dad Dilemma
The entire King family was going to fucking break me, I just knew it. Letting her see that would’ve ruined everything, so I infused as much strength as I could muster into my voice.
“Thank you,” I replied, hardly above a whisper. “It was nice to meet you, too, Robin.”
Her gaze was thoughtful, and I wondered if there was some Mom-radar going off in her head that I was real close to a mental breakdown. I swear, if she came in for a hug, I’d absolutely fucking crack, and then I’d never forgive her for making me snot all over her shoulder.
“If you ever get back to Arizona,” she said, “feel free to look us up.”
“I will,” I promised. Even more surprising was the fact that I meant it.
She must have seen that on my face, because she finally let out a small sigh.
After another smile, she turned and left, and I watched her cross the driveway, then the yards between our houses. When she was safely inside, I closed my eyes and locked the door behind me.
Chapter Twenty
Barrett
It was snowing.
Normally I might not have noticed, but for the fact Lily mentioned it the other day. They were big, fluffy flakes, some of the largest I’d ever seen, and with the kids upstairs doing their final packing for their trip to Colorado for the weekend, I was alone in the kitchen, drinking my coffee, watching the snow fall through the windows.
Was she watching it too?
I tried to imagine texting her.
Just wanted to make sure you knew it was snowing.
I did know that,she’d say,because my eyes work, you dumbass.
“Maybe not,” I muttered, taking another sip of my coffee and keeping my phone far out of reach.
My parents had extended their stay by a couple of days once they knew Griffin and Ruby were coming. Both of their boys under one roof ... My mom had been crying all morning.
Happy tears, of course. When I tried to think about Maggie and Bryce not speaking for years, unwilling to be in the same place, it made my heart sink for what my parents must have felt.
I pushed up out of my chair and wandered over to the slider, fighting that ever-present feeling of guilt over the time we’d spent angry at each other.
For a few moments, I stared blankly into the backyard, watching the kids’ footprints from yesterday fill with the snow falling lazily from the sky. Movement from next door caught my eye, and my head reared in shock.
Lily was flat on her back, unmoving, in the yard.
“Shit,” I mumbled, slamming my mug onto the counter and jogging to the back door to grab my boots and my coat. “Mom, I’ll be outside,” I yelled. “Can you make sure the kids finish their packing?”
I didn’t wait for her to answer, bolting out the door instead, my heart clanging noisily behind my ribs as I ran through the side yard and yanked open the gate that led into Scott and Patty’s yard.
Her head lifted slightly at my noisy approach, brows furrowing. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
I stopped short, my chest heaving, air coming out of my mouth in visible puffs as I tried to catch my breath. “What’swrong? You’re flat on your back. I thought you passed out.”
Lily blinked. “Oh.” Then she laid her head back down and stared up at the sky. “No. I’m fully conscious, I promise.”
If the ground opened up and swallowed me, I wouldn’t have been sad about it. I licked my lips and rubbed the back of my neck, staring at her profile. A black hood lined with fur was pulled up around her face, her hair spilling out the edges. The blue looked brighter than usual against the perfectly white snow.
“Are you ... are you okay?” I asked quietly. The loud breathing had stopped, but my stomach was still twisted with worry.
Finally, Lily blinked. Her jaw tightened and then relaxed. “It’s snowing,” she said quietly. “I’ve never seen it snow before.”
“So you’re going for a fully immersive experience, then?”
