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Dad’s eyes swung back down to take in Micah, and I watched hihtened on the doorknob, and he stood there silently, unable to speak or stop looking at Micah I cleared ht the warning in my tone

It took him a moment, but then he stepped back and let us in His eyes never left Micah Maybe this had been a bad idea after all Hell, I’d almost collapsed on ood for my dad’s heart? Shit

"Who’s here?" Momma called out just before she stepped around the corner and into the foyer Her smile lit up her face when she saas me "I didn’t expect to see you today," she said Then Micah ht couessed Momma saw her baby in Micah’s little face

"Mo myself to tell her who he was just yet Even if she saw the reseuess correctly unless she knew his mother’s name

She didn’t take her eyes off Micah as she walked into the rooe of e co in front of hihter than I had seen it in a long time "Hello, Micah I’m Tabby Falco, but you can call me Mama T, like the rest of the boys around here do"

Micah held up his little hand and slipped it in hers "I like the name Mama T And where are the other boys?"

Myhe said and did "Well, those boys are all big now, just likeat lanced back at me "Oh well, that’s okay I like Dewayne Except when he made my momma cry I didn’t like hi and that I shouldn’t be mad at him So I ain’t"

Shit! The kid just said whatever the hell

"Dewayne? You made his mother cry?" Momma asked me, her eyebrows raised She had a very concerned look on her face

"Like he said, it was athe kid didn’t say anything else about hisMicah with the same look of wonder that I had felt when I’d realized who he was Momma didn’t know yet, and I decided that if Dad didn’t tell her, then maybe I should wait until later, when Micah wasn’t around

"I have chocolate chip cookies and apple pie in my kitchen, fresh outta the oven You want so his hand in hers

He nodded vigorously "Yes, s"

Momma didn’t even look at Dad or ood thing you moved in across the street, then Because I need someone to eat all these sweets I bake"

Micah walked away, still holding her hand "I like sweets I’ll eat ’em," he assured her

I waited until they were in the kitchen and I heard Micah rattling on about superheroes needing lots of cookies before looking at Dad

He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh "Wow He looks just like hiaze towardof Dustin’s to hold on to I understood because I was feeling it too

"I wasn’t sure telling Moot over here Changed my mind"

Dad nodded "Yeah She sees Dustin in him She just doesn’t realize exactly howShe thinks it’s just a coincidental reseonna be good for her I just"--he paused and glanced back at the house across the street--"I can’t figure out why she kept hiirl She was like our own Why would she not let us be a part of his life?"

I wasn’t sure, exactly, but I knew she thought we didn’t want hi to figure out today "I’ht I kneho Micah was and thought I’d chosen not to be a part of his life Not sure how that works, since I didn’t knohere the fk she was all these years No one did"

Dad rubbed his stubbled jaw and shook his head "Your ot theree went fast Three cut-and-styles, one highlight, and one root touch-up All of theet an appointht now that hat I had to ith, and I was okay with that Hillary was even telling people we accepted walk-ins, for my benefit