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"Daddy, look!"

We both snap out of it and turn quickly to Macy who is holding up a gorgeous, yellow rose

"That’s real pretty, baby," he says, s down at her

"Do you like roses?" she asksme the flower

I kneel down "I love thearden at home"

"Can I see it?" she cries

"Perhaps one day you can"

I look up at Nate, whose jaw is tight and every now and then it tics He’s really down tonight, and I don’t know hiht advice, but I can try andover the road "There’s the ice cream shop"

Macy looks over and squeals with delight, then she takes Nate’s hand and pulls hiet ice cream and Nate offers to walk et there, Macy is looking sleepy, her face covered in ice creaht"

He smiles, but it’s distant and distracted "No, thanks for keeping us coate and turn to hi

"Maybe"

CHAPTER 5

NATE

"I’m so sorry," Lena sobs, her hands fisted into see both sides to this story Maybe she is the way she is because ofher what I used to give her

"It’s done with," I bite out, trying to calry atdown her cheeks

"I’ive o of my shirt and swipes her eyes, and then croaks out, "I keep fucking up, Nathaniel I don’t knohy I want to be a better h "I know Maybe it’s et away for a while? A holiday?"

Her eyes light up "We could go to Paris! Re and ent there?"

Those were better days, when she was everything I try to i with her in the streets--but I can’t It’s not her I see, and that scares the fucking hell out of h, because even through the sadness I still s can be fixed--I can’t give up for the sake ofup with parents who divorced and it’s not okay to do the saive her the best we can