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Because I’m an ass

Because I’m too afraid to hold on to her

Because I could never offer her what she truly needs and that’s a failure I can’t handle

Instead Kate pulled hihtly She kissed hiently, "It’s just ti to do with you, littleas I live what he asked Kate next Looking at her with sole away like my mom?"

Kate valiantly choked back a sob and in a tre to be just a phone call away from you, and I’m sure your daddy will let me visit you when I can come back"

Ben turned his tear-streaked face to htened and I had to give a little cough to clear it, but I told hi, buddy Anytime she wants"

My door would always be open to Kate

I left the out inuntil I heard a car pull into the driveway I pulled the curtain back and peeked out thejust in ti out of a beat-up old pickup truck and Kate flying into his ared her hard, twirled her around twice, and kissed her on the head When he tried to pull back, she grabbed on to hi the curtain, I turned away from the bittersweet reunion because it just made as about to happen that much more inevitable

I went out of my office and dutifully avea Carolina Cold Fury hockey player, especially when I know he’s a huge fan, letabout what happened between us The fact that he didn’t punch h to muddy his opinion of me

It ith utter helplessness that I stood on my front porch and watched her father carry her suitcase and the two boxes she had out to the truck, while Kate squatted down in front of Ben and talked to him quietly

Robert started the truck and waited for Kate to rabbed ahold of Ben and pulled hi When she released him, she surreptitiously wiped the tears from her eyes, stepped up to me, and from her tiptoes kissed rab her and drag her back into the house with h shit, she was staying

She stepped back, gave me a s for a response froed to her father’s truck She never looked back at ain, but after he pulled out of the driveway, I saw her look at Ben and give him a final wave