Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Evie smiled sympathetically, but it was Dad who spoke first.
“Roque,” he said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, “no parent knows what they’re doing at the beginning. Not really. We all start in the dark. And even when you’ve got more than one kid, each is different. You just adapt and adjust. You figure it out as you go and do it with love—that’s what matters.”
I swallowed hard, his words hitting me deeper than I expected.
Evie nudged my arm with her elbow. “He’s right. And if you need anything, you call me, okay? I don’t care what time it is. Questions, help, a break, whatever. You’re not on your own.”
I nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. “I’ve got Sayla, too,” I admitted, almost hesitantly. I braced for some kind of reaction, especially from Evie, who was not only best friends with Sayla but also co-owned a business with her. I figured she’d either grill me or tease me to death.
But instead, Dad just smiled and said, “I like her. Always have.”
Evie actually squealed. Quietly, but still.
“Finally,” she whispered, grinning like she’d just won a bet. “I knew something was going on. I’ve been waiting months for one of you to admit it.”
I blinked. “You’re not mad?”
“Mad? Roque, please. She’s one of my favorite people on the planet. And she cares about you and the kids, that’s what counts. Honestly, I was starting to think you were both going to dance around it forever.”
Relief washed through me, lighter than anything I’d felt in days. For a moment, the uncertainty quieted. I wasn’t doing this alone. And maybe I didn’t have all the answers—but I had people in my corner—good people.
And somehow, that made all the difference.
The night was quiet, the kind of stillness that only came after a long, exhausting day. The porch light glowed softly above us, casting a warm circle that barely reached the edge of the steps. I stood there holding Sayla, my arms wrapped snugly around her waist like I didn’t plan on letting go anytime soon.
I’d texted her after the kids were finally down for the night—Kairo had asked for water three times, and Kaida had insisted her stuffed rabbit needed a pillow of its own. But eventually, they’d both drifted off. And now, here we were.
I told her everything—how the day had gone, the tiny wins, the unknowns, what my dad had said, and how Evie hadn’t even blinked when I mentioned Sayla. She listened quietly, the way she always did, asking soft, thoughtful questions that made it easier to breathe.
When I finally fell silent, she pulled away just enough to reach down and pick up a small tote bag she’d brought with her. She turned in my arms, setting it gently between us.
“I talked to Heidi earlier,” she said, unzipping it. “Asked her what you might need, and she listed these as essentials.”
She pulled out kid themed toothbrushes, a tube of sparkly toothpaste with cartoon dinosaurs on it, some children’s Tylenol and Benadryl, a pack of wipes, little bandaids with smiling sharks, and a bottle of chewable vitamins.
“She said this was the must have list, so I figured they must be important,” she added with a small shrug, eyes searching mine.
I stared at the bag, then back at her, something warm and grateful tugging at my chest. I leaned in and kissed her—slow, deliberate. “Thank you,” I murmured against her lips.
She smiled softly, then leaned back a little, her fingers lacing with mine. “How was your day?”
I huffed a laugh. “You mean besides having my heart pulled in fifteen directions?”
“Yeah,” she said, teasing gently. “That part, I can guess.”
I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Tell me about yours.”
She sighed and shifted her weight. “I ended up standing in for Evie at the shop today. They're working on the drywall and all the crap in my house, and I didn’t want to be there while that was going on. It’d be too noisy and dusty.”
“How’s that going?” I asked, my voice low.
“They’re saying another two weeks, maybe a little less. Things were moving fast at first, but they slowed everything down while the survey was done. I’m just hoping they don’t find more problems.” She paused, rubbing her arms absently. “The insurance company’s assessing the new claim, but my case manager warned me they might not cover all of it.”
I frowned, jaw tightening. “Let me know if they come back with a hard no. I’ve got a couple of guys who owe me favors.”
Sayla went quiet for a beat, then stepped into me and burrowed her face into my chest, her voice muffled against my shirt. “I miss you.”
I wrapped my arms around her again, holding her tighter. “I miss you, too.”
She pulled back just enough to look up at me, eyes glossy but steady. “The kids come first, though. So, if you need anything, feel overwhelmed or unsure, or just need someone to talk to—call me. I mean it.”