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"Sorry," Houston h a s the idea of living with his faht here in front of ?"

"Yeah," he chuckles, reaching down to pick up the bouncing girl, tucking her so naturally in his ar comfortably on his shoulder "This is hter"

My face just went seven shades paler I felt it Norive off the cool and cal in my stomach with such force, I can feel it ina silent conversation His saying sorry for the surprise, andtheir damnedest to pretend I’m not shocked or surprised or disappointed or any of those things that I feel right now

"Daddy, I’s Can I have so around Houston, and his ar in their protection He turns his face to this sirl, who looks like she’s maybe four, and pushes his nose to hers They are almost exact duplicates

"Yes," he sot it for her, Houston You finish up talking with your friend and yourbehind the counter, hugging Sheila’s leg next and cli up a tall stool at the back table It’s her stool--there for her She probably co, when I’h, because there’s really nothing he needs to say or explain There it is Houston is a father, with a room, that he’d like me to move into

His htly before she turns to face her son

"I’s I’ll be done by the tiet her to pre-school," she says, kissing her son on the cheek and glancing atdown a nearby aisle

"You’re… the second I say the M word, wondering why in the hell that’s the first thing I asked

"Not exactly," he says, his thu down at his feet He takes a long deep breath, and I take the opportunity to do the same

"You’re…separated?" I ask, pretty sure that’s not er we talk I’ like a paranoid-crazy wo theinfor onehis eyes up to meet mine "I’ But how else could it really have gone? I can’t invite a girl to move into our house just because I think she’s cute and quirky and she makes me feel like the twenty-one-year-old I really ae the ain when Bethany died

Paige is looking rapidly fro in, then back towhile she eats at the counter just behind reatest sound in the world

"Oh, I’e says, her voice unsure Nobody ever knows quite what to say It’s not a conversation a guy e usually has to have

"It’s okay It’s been al the bottothedad

"Seventeen," I say Let’s just get this out of the way

She looks atnot to understand

"That’s how old I e had Leah You ondering…I…I could tell I’ve seen that look before," I say

"Oh, no that’s not what I was…oh…fine Okay, that’s what I was trying to figure out So, you had her in high school then, huh?" Paige asks

"That’s kind of what seventeen means," I say I can see her eyes flinch, and I feel badly I didn’tfunny"

"You’re not very funny," she says back fast She’s always fast I know she’s trying to put up a front now, but her comebacks are cute I can’t help it, and I chuckle