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“Not sure how you could’ve,” Howie said, his eyes on Mack “You did what you had to”

“I’ll never forgive hi me leave him there” The confession see of theout my voice

“You don’t have to,” Howie said siladly deal with anythin’ you can throw at him”

“You think so?” I said, exhaustion rolling over me in a wave

“If I knowa thousand tiht Don’t matter how pissed you are”

“We weren’t even together,” I said, not o”

“Heard somethin’ about that,” Howie replied, completely unsurprised “Me and Lou kneouldn’t last”

“How’s that?” I asked dryly

“You don’t look at a woman the way my son looks at you and let her walk away,” Howie said with a sht I’ before he was offerin’ you the moon”

“I didn’t want themy eyes “Just babies”

Howie’s eyes widened in surprise “That’s what the fuss was about?”

“I wouldn’t call it a fuss, really”

“Girl,” he said with a chuckle “You woulda given him some time to wrap his head around the idea, he woulda came around Boy played with dolls almost as much as he played with trucks as a kid”

“Really?” I said, tenderness welling up in uys would never let Mack live that down

“Oh, yeah,” Howie said “He wanted a whole house full of kids He’d never say it, but I think he regretted that he and Mia didn’t have more”

My stomach twisted with jealousy

“But she wasn’t in no shape to take care of Kara,” Howie continued “Much less any other babies that ca”

“She always seeood mom when I was around her,” I said carefully

“She was,” Howie said firmly “And she loved Kara ainst the foot of the bed, his hand still absently rubbing Mack’s foot “But so was afraid of everything by the end, even herself”

“Why didn’t she see a doctor?” I asked