Page 28 of Lost Times

He trailed off, trying to find the words before visibly giving up with a sigh.

“They’re them, and this is how they’ve always been. No matter what though, you’re not a distraction, okay?”

She nodded, still sniffing quietly but not as shaken as before.

Cuddling between us, she muttered. “Can we go home?”

I hated letting those two ruin the day, but after exchanging a long look with Ludwig, I nodded. We needed to talk, and obviously there’d be no rescuing this family day.

“Of course, we should have some chocolate ice cream in the freezer at home too,” I said and took one of her hands. Once she was safely buckled into her seat, I spoke just low enough for Ludwig to hear.

“Are you okay?”

He blinked, taken aback by the question, then he nodded, his mask coming back in full force. “This is normal. Let’s just get you guys home.”

Before he could avoid the topic by walking to the driver’s seat, I caught his hand and said. “Can you stay afterward? I want to talk to you about this.”

He stiffened to stone but nodded.

The entire drive back was spent in tense silence, Jasmine staying quiet as if she could sense it too. When we pulled up outside the house, she went inside without complaint, Ludwig and I following at a slower pace.

Once the door shut behind us, though, she turned to Ludwig and tugged his hand. “They were really mean. Do you want a hug?”

He hesitated a second, not sure how to answer that, and Jasmine took that as her answer. Gripping tight around his waist, she snuggled in for a beat then pulled back with a determined expression.

“I’m getting my stuffed animals for you. They always make me feel better.” Then, before he or I could cut her off, she was racing back to her room.

Shaking my head at the typical Jasmine response to seeing someone hurting, I nudged his arm and nodded to the kitchen. “That’s going to take her a while; let’s sit down.”

He followed woodenly, taking the seat across from me, and after a second, I couldn’t stop myself from asking again. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

His hand came up to run through his hair and he sighed, then nodded. “Yes, like I said, this is normal. It doesn’t surprise me that he doesn’t think I’m parent material, though.”

To be honest, I’d all but forgotten about that until now…

Doubts all but drifted around him like gnats and when he went on, my heart twisted for him.

“I have to wonder if he’s right. I froze solid when Jasmine tripped earlier, and that’s hardly a good response.”

Okay, no. We’re not doing that.

Not letting myself second guess it, I took his hand and squeezed.

“That’s a normal response for someone who isn’t used to dealing with tears. I used to react like that too. It fades with time, and the longer you keep at it, the easier it gets.” He eased a bit and I tacked on. “If there’s anything you need help with, ask, and I’ll do my best to explain. I know it’s scary to start, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easy as breathing.”

Usually. There were still days she decided she was going to make everything difficult, but we weren’t getting into that right now.

He glanced at his phone, the doubts quiet now but uncertainty taking their place. “Maybe I should head to work, just to get some extra things done.”

It burned to think his father could rip him apart like this and plant that uncertainty. I couldn’t do much to help either. Shifting to be more in his line of sight, I asked.

“Why don’t you delegate some of the work? Most company heads do that.”

He grimaced, looking away and letting the silence speak for itself. After a beat, I sighed. “It has something to do with your father, doesn’t it?”

The frown deepened but he nodded, finally answering. “My father handled the company for years without help. I’m expected to do the same.”

Flashing back to just how much happened at the office in one day, I pinched my lips together and asked. “But how much bigger is the company today than it was when he was running it?”

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