“That sounds impossibly hard.” Tate watched her toddler gnaw on a plastic toy.
“It’s actually an honor to be there for them,” Hailey said. “You know, at first, I was terrified of getting it wrong. But I think I’ve reached the point where I realize no one can do better.” She grimaced. “That didn’t come out right. I don’t mean thatI’mdoing a great job—”
“You are.” All eyes turned to him. “You’re doing a great job.”
She softened. “You’re biased but thank you. No, I just meant that no one’s equipped to handle a situation like this, and so I think they just need someone who cares enough to try.”
The sentiment hit his solar plexus like a mallet, and the sting of awareness reverberated throughout him.
He’d come out here convinced he was a menace.
Over time, he’d lost sight of that. Consumed with taking care of them, he’d forgotten about the damage he could cause. But now, thanks to the trust the girls had in him, to getting in the trenches with them—looking for solutions and finding them—he had a degree of confidence.
Hailey was right. There was no perfect family. There were just people who cared enough to keep guiding and supporting them. It was about being there.
And it was a fucking revelation.
He didn’t have to be a certain kind of person. He didn’t have to do anything other than care about their welfare.
That was really all they needed. Well, that and love.
And he could do the hell out of that.
He stood up. “Well, thanks for meeting with us.”
The women startled, and he realized how abrupt he’d been. But he needed to get out of here. “We won’t keep you any longer. We just wanted to let you know of Darren’s passing.”
“Oh.” Tate seemed confused. “I thought…”
But Hailey was on her feet, too, and he got the feeling her urgency matched his.
Tate walked them to the door. “I’m sorry I took so long changing her diaper. I didn’t expect to find quite as much…to clean up.” She laughed but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Anyhow, I’m not sure where we go from here. Is there anything we can do to help with the girls?”
“I appreciate the offer, thank you. We’re still figuring things out, but we’ll be in touch.” Hailey looked past Tate to her mom. “It was very nice to meet you. I’m sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”
The older woman nodded, still standing behind the love seat.
Tate ushered them out to the porch. “I must’ve misunderstood. When my mother told me you’d contacted her, I thought you were looking for someone to adopt the girls. But just so you know, if that were to happen,Iwould be the one adopting them.” She searched their expressions. “I wasn’t sure if meeting my mother had changed your mind. She has a lot of regrets about the choices she made, and I know she’d get some peace of mind knowing her grandchildren, but the day-to-day care would come from me. I have a degree in early childhood education and own a preschool, and I know my house looks small, but it’s filled with love, and that’s all children need at this age.”
“That’s wonderful.” Hailey gave out the energy of a thousand suns. “It’d be great if we could keep in touch. We’d love the girls to know their family.”
And right then, he knew she was on the same page as him.
He wanted to grab her hand and run to the car.
He’d never felt happier.
ChapterTwenty-One
The momentthey latched their seat belts, Hailey put her hand on his to stop him from starting the engine. “I want your help.”
“You’ve got it. Anything you need. What do you have in mind?”
“I’m going to do it. I’m adopting the girls. But I can’t do it by myself.”
Hope spiked so quickly it knocked the breath out of his lungs. “You don’t have to.”
She tensed, her body alert. “What are you saying?”