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I blanched at the painful memory Here in this room, ere once happy…and even felt alht froan didn’tto yourself? You know she’ll only hurt him!"

My head twisted back toward the entryway of the room as Julia’s voice filtered in She sounded furious, and the sto in my direction confirmed it

"It’s my decision to an

Focusing on Oliver, as on the floor in front ofwith Scout, I frowned His head dropped low, and it was painfully obvious his little ears were perked

"I’’s fine," I tried to reassure hiet it’s not nice to yell"

He shrugged "Aunt Julia’s mad at Daddy They yell a lot now"

My heart broke for hi Julia loves your daddy very lanced warily to the doorway, listening The air around us quieted as the muffled voices moved deeper into the house

Thank God Oliver didn’t need to hear the, especially if my instincts were spot on and it was about Natasha

"Can I tell you a secret?" Oliver asked quietly, looking back at ht eyes

"Of course"

He ju on the ar my ear, and whispered, "Mommy came back for me"

He kneanted to be happy for hi when she had hi, buthis mother back in his life, but at the concern that Natasha wouldn’t be the

"Have you seen her?" I asked, concern heavy in ht of Natasha prancing back into their lives to fill the role of ood for Logan and Oliver, and maybe it would help me move on I only wanted to see them both happy

"No, but they talk about her all the tio away She won’t, right?"

What could I say? How could I ease his worry? I rubbed my hand down his arm and squeezed his hand "I don’t know, but no matter what, your daddy’s here"

I couldn’t lie to hi and out of the loop from when my father left It was sometimes worse than the truth

His head shook and pulled his hand away before running across the rooht the pup, I heard him tell him in a hushed confidence, "She won’t leave I know it"

Before I could offer him soh heaved in our direction I glanced up to see Julia standing in the entryway