“I had no idea he was worried.” Will shook his head.
Ms. Silverman gave him a small, sympathetic smile. “I think he might be scared of the answer. But I had him write a letter to you explaining his concerns.” She tapped the folded paper Will had placed on the desk after he found it in Andy’s desk. “It might not be my place to tell you how to handle this, but consistency is the most important thing for children.”
Of course it was. Communication and consistency. And Will had failed at communicating with Andy. He flicked open the letter and scanned it quickly.
I’m sure my teacher told you what this is about already because she asks a lot of questions and probably tells you and Aly everything I say. But I know Aly is coming back soon, and that means you won’t be stuck with me anymore. But I wondered if you’d let me come back again when Aly leaves. I know I’ve been a pain in your butt, but I promise, if you let me come back, I won’t be anymore. I’ve been trying to be better because I like being with you. If you let me stay, I’ll even pretend to like the kale smoothies.
Andy
A lump lodged in Will’s throat the second he read the wordstuck. He cleared his throat, a flurry of emotions warring inside him. This situation might have started because Will wanted to pay something forward, but the truth was that it was giving Will things he never expected. He looked forward to Sunday football more, because he and Andy got to discuss the teams. He liked waking up early and having someone there in the morning. It wasn’t that Will had been lonely—he’d never say he was—but Andy added something to life. They needed to talk. He might not be the easiest kid, but Will enjoyed their time together. And he never wanted Andy to feel unwanted. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“You read it?” he asked Andy’s teacher. When she nodded, Will pushed to his feet, grabbing his phone in one hand and the letter in the other. “We’ll take care of it. Thank you for letting me know.”
“He’s happier than I’ve seen him since September. You’re doing a great job.”
He gave her a clipped nod and left the room, not feeling great about anything. Although he and Aly hadn’t talked about it, Will made the decision right there—Andy wasn’t going anywhere.
He had just gotten in his truck when his phone buzzed with the new FaceTime request.
“Hey, sorry. I lost service. Probably too much on the network here. But what did she say?” Aly asked.
Will clicked the phone into the mount on the dash and started the truck before looking into the camera. “Andy is staying with me, in my house, through the holidays. And at least for the next couple of years. We need to get that straight and make sure he knows.”
It was a statement, not a question. More of a confirmation of what he thought was a known fact. One they just hadn’t voiced yet. In his mind—after everything he’d heard about how well Andy was doing and how he needed consistency—there was no other option.
“Excuse me?” Aly’s screech ripped through the air in the confined space, raising an octave higher than her normal tone. She narrowed her eyes, her irises swirling dark like dusk.
Will froze.Why would she fight him about this?
“You heard me. He’s doing well where he is. Let’s not mess that up.” Will clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on the wheel. She had been perfectly content with this arrangement until about thirty seconds ago. What the fuck was going on?
“He’s my brother. You’re not going totell mewhat he will and won’t do,” she snapped, her face red and her mouth fixed in a scowl. “I get that you like to issue statements, and I appreciate your help, but I’m his guardian. I decide what’s best for him. And no one said this was an indefinite arrangement.”
“And you think moving him for a couple of weeks is best for him? Bringing him home while it works for you and then dumping him off with a new nanny when you go off to the next location is in his best interest?” If she thought that was consistency, she’d lost her fucking mind. “I might just be the swim coach and babysitter, but I know a million times more about kids than you ever will.”
“I. Didn’t. Say. That.” The word hissed through her tight lips as she stared through the phone at him.
With as hard as he was gritting his teeth, Will’s jaw just might crack, but he refused to look away. “What’s your plan?” It was a challenge. He knew this woman well enough now to know she probably hadn’t formulated one yet.
Aly blinked, her gray eyes as violent as a summer thunderstorm. “To come home and talk to him.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great you’re coming back,” Will said. “It will be good for him to see you for the holidays, but then what?”
Aly sighed. “That’s over six weeks from now. I have time to figure that out.”
Okay, this could all work out. He took a deep breath and pulled back just a hair. Not all the way, because in the end, he was right, but enough to bring her back from the edge.
“Moving Andy back and forth isn’t what’s best for him. He’s happy, and I’m not going anywhere. It makes sense for him to stay with me,” Will pointed out.
Aly’s shoulders drooped. She looked away and blinked a few times. “Will, he’s my only family, and it’s Christmas.” She swallowed hard.
Yeah, okay—he was an asshole.
He hadn’t really thought about Aly and what she’d do. But there was no reason she couldn’t stay too.
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I know we didn’t talk about this, but you could stay with us too. I should have led with that.”
“What?” Wide eyes shot back to him. Fuck, she was gorgeous. He shook that thought off; it wasn’t the point.