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I headed to the stairs and took theain

“Malcolm”

I stopped She ca on her bottoer

“You forget so?” Why the hell would I ask that?

She shook her head “Dr Carr would think , and startedto herself She looked back up atat trying to changeyou call me tainted…”

“That’s not what I meant”

“Well, that’s what I heard Me and my son Because as much as you want to pretend to be his father—”

“Pretend? I’”

“You knohat I mean”

I stepped forward “Do I? Because we are having soht now And I one hundred percent own that I fucked up with my choice of words”

“Yes, Malcolm, you knohat I“You’ve stepped up, put yourself in that father role for his toward hienuine”

“They are There’s no reason for you to doubt that Family is a hell of a lot more than just DNA I think of Shawn as my son”

She gave a faint sone as quickly as it appeared “I want to believe you I see how you are with him, but your words cut deep They tapped into my own doubts and insecurities about myself and about Shawn”

She looked down and ran her hand across her stoan to nod, and she reached up to wipe tears froer moved back