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I tucked my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t be tempted to cross theo,” I admitted

My mother’s face turned instantly sour She had tried to like Josie—for ether, Josie had always rubbedway I could never really understand why Josie had been a soirlfriend in all the ways that counted It just hadn’t been nant that I saw her true nature Maybe Mom had been able to see the inherent selfishness that bubbled below the surface better than I ever could

Men were easily blinded by a nice pair of boobs and regular sex Unfortunately, I had not been an exception My only excuse was that I was young and inexperienced

And I had been trying like hell to get over—in any way possible—the girl that had unceremoniously broken my heart

My“I don’t understand how anyone could abandon this beautiful little girl”

“She didn’t abandon—” I started to argue but then stoppedJosie,rather than true belief When someone asked where Josie was, it was easier to say, “She’s taking ti to come back soon” I didn’t want to have to tell the real story Because that one was harder and uglier

The truth was I was tired of defending a wo to feel, didn’t deserve hter At first, I understood She had postpartuer she stayed away and the less I heard fro started to come to the surface

My shoulders slouched slightly, feeling defeated—and it wasn’t even 8:30 in the“Yeah, well it is what it is” I plastered a s silly noises in that adorable way she did “I’al in my life, whatever the circumstances”

I was relieved when ree on that one,” she conceded, patting et to work I was thinking of taking Katie to the garden center for lunch”

“That sounds great” I kisseddown to nuzzle the top of hter’s dark head, the saood for Nommy”

Katie held her ar the way she always did I squeezed her just enough Leaving her would never get easy Even if I was only leaving her to go to work, knowing she was in good hands

“Da-da,” she said with a toothy grin, patting my cheek in an imitation of what she had seen my mother do

“I’ll check in with you guys later,” I pro later ht I’d be one of those neurotic helicopter parents I was too laid back, too cool for that Then I became a dad, and all those preconceived ideas of what a chill father I’d be went right out the

Mo ave a final wave toto the center of town

I made it to the town square in sixs on every la fro the et and was filled with a nostalgic fa

My family had moved there when I first startedthe excited, frenetic energy of Philadelphia for what felt like the backwoods of Pennsylvania It sucked being the new kid Particularly when you towered like a giant over all of your peers like some sort of Sasquatch

But then IShe was surly with ain front of her face and a perpetual scowl Most people gave her a wide berth, but that hadn’t been enough to deter h I was less than thrilled with theuy I enerally likedand introduced myself