Page 36 of Doughn't Let Me Go

Foster nods, like he already knew that would be the case.

On one particularly rough night when Wren was pregnant, Foster called me from a locked bathroom, crying because his wife was in pain and he had no idea how to help her. He admitted he was scared, and I told him it was normal to be scared.

“What if I fuck it up, Porter? What if my baby hates me?”

“You’re going to fuck up. You’re gonna fuck up a lot, man. It happens. Just as long as you keep trying and keep being there, it will all work out.”

I can picture him pulling at his hair, sitting on the edge of the tub, trying to be quiet so he doesn’t disturb Wren. “I don’t know how you do this shit, dude. The baby isn’t even here yet and I want to give up.”

“Some days, I don’t know how I do it either.”

He sighs quietly. “I hope I’m half as good of a father as you are.”

I didn’t tell him then—and never will—but I was crying too.

It was my favorite moment we’ve ever had together, and we were miles apart.

“I assume the girls are in the tea party room?” I ask.

He nods. “Yep.”

“Were you kicked out again?”

This time he laughs sardonically. “Your daughter might not dream big, but damn is she whip smart. When we got back from the store last night—twonew princess dresses in hand, mind you—she let me in for teatime. I was in there for all of one minute before she shoved me back out.”

I try so hard to hide my smirk. “Really?”

“As she wasliterallyshoving me out the door, she informed me that all she said was I could join teatime, but she never ‘pecified’ how long she had to let me stay in the room.” He uses air quotes and all, rolling his eyes. “You’re raising a damn businesswoman, all right. Sneaky little shit.”

The laugh bursts free, and Foster launches a slice of cheese at me.

“Stop laughing at your tiny evil genius offspring!”

“I can’t. I’m just so proud of her.”

“Fucker.”

He launches another piece of cheese and this time I catch it, taking a big bite out of it. “Thank you.”

He glowers at me, then resumes making lunch, this time moving on to something for him and Wren based on the adding-more-than-just-cheese-and-mayo aspect.

I watch him, but my mind soon begins to drift to other things.

Other people.

Dory.

I don’t know why I told Mel to cancel my interview with the other applicant. Part of me thinks it’s because I feel connected to Dory, not just because we’ve seen each other naked, but because of our similarly colored pasts.

The other part of me knows it’s because I want to see her again.

I can’tnotsee her again.

“I can hear you thinking. What’s on your mind?”

I scratch at the hair lining my jaw. I don’t usually keep my face this covered, but I figured maybe since I’m in a new place, I’ll try a new look.

Besides, Dory didn’t seem to mind the way it felt against her skin last night.

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