Page 35 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

Lena looked unconvinced but nodded. "The movie stopped and I heard you guys."

Juno glanced over at the television and saw that the show had been paused. Lena was obviously a perceptive child. She wondered what other arguments she'd overheard in her short little life.

Alex checked his watch, then turned his wrist so Lena could see the face of the analog timepiece, too. "It's getting late, Lena-Bug. What time does it say?"

Lena studied it for a few seconds, her mouth working as she counted out the minutes. "Eight forty-five," she finally said, a mix of pride and disappointment in her voice. "Does that mean we have to go now?"

Alex nodded. "Your mom wanted you home around nine. It's going to take us about twenty minutes to drive there, so we're going to be a little late, even if we ran out the door right now – and that's not going to happen with this bum leg of mine." He narrowed his eyes at her and squeezed her bicep. "Unless you can carry me…."

That brought a smile to Lena's face. "Daddy, you're being silly. I can't carry you. You're supposed to carry me."

"Right, right," he said, nodding sagely. "I forgot which way that worked. Anyway, even if we sprouted wings and could fly down the stairs right now, we still wouldn't make it all the way around the lake in fifteen minutes. So we better get going. It's time."

"Do we have to?" Lena looked between them. "I like it here. I wish I could stay in Autumn Lake forever." She sighed, the sound too world-weary for someone so young. "Mom said we have to move again so we can live with her boyfriend."

The echo of Juno's own childhood in those words made her heart ache. The constant moving, never having roots, always at the mercy of an adult's whims. Lena was obviously much more privileged than Juno had been at her age, but the longing in her voice, the obvious craving for a place to call home, struck such a nerve inside her.

"Charlie?" Alex asked, his tone neutral. Juno watched his expression, but saw no signs of jealousy, only concern for Lena.

"No," sighed Lena. "It's Daniel now. She really likes him and he has a big house on an island, and there's a pool there," she added, sounding very much like she was repeating something she'd been told.

"I haven't met Daniel," Alex said. "Is he nice to you?"

Lena shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know."

Alex stood, his expression grim. Apparently, this was all news to him, too. "Why don't you get your things together, okay? Your backpack is on the floor by the couch. I'll be there to help you in just a second."

When the girl drifted reluctantly away from them, he turned to Juno. "I'm sorry about how this all went down. I really did intend to talk to you about Lena over dinner, Juno. I'm in over my head, and I could use… some advice. Support. Help," he added a little louder. "Can I come back? Will you still be awake around ten-thirty?"

Juno hesitated, still reeling from everything she'd learned. Part of her wanted to say no, to process all this alone. But Lena was watching them from the doorway, and Juno couldn't bring herself to reject Alex in front of his daughter.

"Okay," she agreed finally. "I'll be here."

After they left, Juno sank onto her sofa, emotionally drained. There was clearly more to this story than she'd assumed, but was she ready to hear it? Could she set aside her personal feelings, which were decidedly opinionated, to be a friend to Alex in his time of need?

"Yes," she said aloud. "You can do this. You're strong. You're capable. People depend on you, Juniper Bernice Thomas, because you're dependable. Be his friend first. That's how it should be anyway."

The self-talk helped, and while she put her little apartment to right for the night, she brewed herself a cup of cinnamon tea, then settled into the corner where Lena had been, and switched the station to something more suitable for someone her age.

When ten-thirty turned to eleven, then eleven-thirty, and there was still no word from Alex, Juno turned off the television, threw off the cozy blanket, and marched into her bathroom to ready herself for bed.

"You're such a fool," she said to her reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink. "When will you ever learn?"

17

Alex

TheheadlightsofTheBeast cut through the darkness as Alex navigated the winding lakeside road. Beside him, Lena chattered away, seemingly unscathed by the tension that had filled Juno's apartment just before they left. His mind kept replaying the confrontation in the kitchen, Juno's accusatory words still ringing in his ears.

What kind of father doesn't acknowledge his own child?

The question hit him where it hurt most. He'd just blindly accepted Melissa's terms, had been willing to take the measly crumbs she'd tossed his way. What kind of a father was he, indeed?

He'd never forget opening the certified mail packet that contained all the proof he'd needed that he had a daughter. The three photos that had accompanied Melissa's letter were of Lena at birth, exactly nine months after he'd spent a summer at the beck and call of Melissa Hayward. There was one of Lena at three, a chubby, blue-eyed toddler that had sent Alex to his parents' place to look at old family albums because of how shockingly alike they looked to his own, and then at six, a ganglier, gap-toothed Lena dressed in a birthday princess dress and wearing what looked to him like a very expensive tiara. When he'd cupped his hand around the child's face to block out her perfectly-styled and bejeweled curls, he'd seen Jason grinning back at him, and he'd broken down and wept like a baby.

Melissa's conditions had been clear. The child was his, but if he wanted to see her, he'd have to pay, but he'd also have to keep their arrangement quiet until they could speak in person, until she could see with her own eyes that he could be trusted to be around Lena.

At the time, Alex hadn't been trustworthy enough to be around anyone, and he'd had no doubt that everyone who knew him would share Melissa's misgivings.

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