Page 19 of Heal For Me

Fat snowflakes flutter to the ground outside the office window, and I think over his words, eventually coming to the conclusion, I don’t have the same feeling. I’m confident Payson will be awake come next season, but I don’t know if she will be in the state to play. It’s not that I came here specifically to coach Payson, but she was a large part of it. The only reason Amanda ever reached out to me was because of Payson’s obsession, so in a way, I guess Payson is the reason I’m here, and if she’s not here and I’m not coaching her, why am I here at all. I enjoy coaching, but I enjoy it more when she is involved. I can’t imagine coaching these girls and not one of them being Payson.

7

Ash

Parker is sitting at the counter working on schoolwork when I come down after a short nap. Before heading for the fridge, I kiss his forehead.

“How was school?”

When he doesn’t answer, I turn to face him. Still occupied with whatever is in his textbook, not paying me any attention. “Parker.”

Still nothing.

“Park, how was school?” My voice is firmer.

As my annoyance for being ignored lately is at it’s peak, I walk over and smack the counter across from him. He lifts his eyes and jumps.

He pulls the earbuds I didn’t see from his ears, and sighs, still clutching his chest over his heart. “Papa, mi hai spaventato.” Dad, you scared me.

“Scusa. I kissed your forehead when I entered, figlio.”

He taps his chest a few more times, then runs the same hand through his hair. “This project at school has me drowning.”

I hate the thought of my son stressing about schoolwork. I can admit I haven’t been a great dad lately, or really since he moved in with me. Payson consumes me, and unfortunately, she is more . . . difficult than Parker—but Payson isn’t my daughter. She might be my girlfriend, the woman I will one day marry, and the mother to my future children, but Parker needing his father is as important.

Another thing I have failed at.

I squeeze the back of my neck, hoping to release some of the tension threatening to cause a knot. “What is it? Maybe I can help.”

Parker smirks, looking so much like me. “Do you know anything about advanced biology? I have to draw all these images.” He gestures to the papers scattered about.

“You have to draw these pictures? Can’t you just trace them?”

“No, they have to be big, like the size of the paper.”

Bloody hell.

“And it’s due tomorrow. I forgot until the teacher mentioned it today. I spent most of the day working on it, but I only finished two of twelve drawings.” His brows furrow as he looks over the rest of the work he has to finish, and I do the same.

“Well.” I scratch at the back of my neck this time. “I suppose I could help, but you’ve seen my drawings, Park. I’m not an artist and can’t promise you’ll get a good grade.”

He grins, most likely remembering the drawings I used to send him. They were nothing more than stick figures, but he used to draw me pictures, so I started doing the same for him.

“I’m desperate, anything is better than turning in nothing.”

I’m meant to head to the hospital soon, but I’ve slacked on Parker since he’s moved in with me and can’t keep being a half-ass father. I was one for sixteen years, even if I only knew about him for twelve. I failed Payson in more ways than one, I refuse to fail my son. It’s different, but I need to give him the attention he deserves, and if that means a night attempting to draw biology images with my son—so be it.

I step out to make a call to Jethro while Parker gets things ready for us.

“Hello?” He sounds as tired as I feel.

“It’s Ash.”

“I have caller ID.”

Why Payson has to share blood with this dick is beyond me. “How is she?”

There’s a pause on his end, and my heart rate spikes.

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