Page 75 of Scout
Dr. Davis doesn’t rush her answer. “You’re asking the wrong question.”
“What’s the right one?”
“Not‘do I have the right,’Xavier. The question is:what’s right?”
I let her words sit there, heavy and sharp in the quiet.
“I want to fix it,” I say finally. “Even if I don’t deserve to.”
“Start there,” she says softly. “The rest will come.”
Later that nightin the on-call room, my phone buzzes with a message that makes my chest tighten.
Scout: Thank you for the groceries and takeout.
I read it three times before I even let myself breathe. It’s not the first message, but it still feels rare enough to handle like glass. I want to respond immediately, but I pause, thumbs hovering like I’m afraid I’ll scare him off.
Me: You're welcome. How are things? How’s Juniper?
I send it before I can overthink.
Scout: Good. Our first court date is the 10th at 9am. Juniper’s not nervous but I am.
My reply is instant, fingers moving before my brain even catches up.
Me: Don’t be. The judge will see how good you are for her. How much you love each other. It’s just a formality.
Nothing back.
I stare at the screen until it times out and goes dark, then I set it facedown on the comforter.
He’s not ready. Or maybe he is… just not for me. Not for us.
The next morning,I come home and toss my keys on the counter. The apartment feels too quiet. Kendrix is in the kitchen adding things to the crockpot.
“Any updates?” he asks, eyes not leaving the pot.
“He texted a thank you and told me about a court date for Juniper that he’s nervous about.”
“That’s something.”
“It’s not enough,” I say.
He finally turns, tired eyes meeting mine. “What do you want, Xavier? A parade?”
I flinch. “I want to fix it.”
“We can’t. You know we can’t.”
“Then what? We sit here and wait for him to forget we ever mattered?”
“No.” Kendrix wipes his hands on a towel. “We show up. You said he told you about the court date, right?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t invite us to attend.”
“He didn’t tell us to stay away, either.”
“That’s a reach.”
