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She shook her head “Are you listening to yourself?”

“Yes, I as are stirring, and we’re trying to squash it before

it turns into anything of note I need you to stand by ht now and lend me your trust You and Joc will be fine here by yourself I know she’s a handful right now, but we knew it’d be like this going in”

“Yes, but I wasn’t expecting to have to go it alone You’re her father”

“And you help take care of her, too What’s your deal right now?” he asked

“I don’t want to make this situation worse,” she admitted

“You’re far better at this than I will ever be, Es” He cupped her face “I don’t want you to worry about this I trust you with her more than anyone else” He pressed his lips to hers and her knees eak “I’ll talk to her before I leave, okay?”

“You have to go now?”

“Yeah, sweet girl”

She sed down her protest This was part of being an old lady; she’d signed up for this She would’ve handled it better if it hadn’t come on the back of a three-e was never easy The bi-weekly visits hadsituation Jocelyn had taken it hard

She’d left behind all her friends, what she’d known as her family, and a completely different style of life To say she wasn’t happy would be putting it lightly Full of sass and anger, Joc tested theht her and the last of her things up froally At least not in a straight-forward manner But she wouldn’t put it past the The pressure made her head hurt

“Go She should hear it from you,” Es said

Iht out with Jole went up in fla a maternal role to a child who saw you as the eneht in front of her, taunting her She placed a hand on her rolling stoh the next couple of weeks in peace

A bang came from upstairs He told her Snake appeared at the top of the stairs

“She took it that well?” Es asked