“Mr. Kane looks grumpy.”
“He probably was.”
“Daddy looks happy.”
“Yes.”
She studied it.
“Did Daddy like him?”
“I think so.”
Mia smiled.
“Then I picked a good one.”
I nearly inhaled my tea.
“Mia.”
She giggled.
I pulled her into my lap.
“We need to talk about something.”
Her expression turned serious.
“You’re not allowed to choose grown-ups for people.”
“But I was helping.”
“I know.”
“And you need help.”
“Everyone needs help sometimes.”
She considered that.
“Even you?”
“Especially me.”
Her little hand touched my cheek.
“Okay.”
I kissed her palm.
“But there’s something else. If Mommy ever decides to spend time with someone, that doesn’t mean they automatically become your daddy.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Yes. Daddy is Daddy.”
My throat tightened.
“And nobody replaces him.”
“Right.”
She leaned against me.
“But can we still have more people?”
I closed my eyes.
Children could make the complicated things unbearably simple.
