Delores had her hand on Angel’s collar, wordlessly restraining the well-trained animal, whose tail wagged. She was telling Joshua that Angel helped her take care of all the dogs at her shelter until they found their forever homes.

Joshua turned to smile at Dani. “She has dogs and they need forever homes. Can we get another dog for me?”

Dani opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond, but Michael answered for her, signing brusquely to his brother.

“No, Joshua. This place is only temporary. We don’t live here. We’ll have to leave soon.”

Temporary. Oh God. Dani reeled for a moment, feeling like all the breath had been knocked out of her as Joshua’s little face crumpled.

“Oh,” he whispered, his hands pulled tight to his body as he signed back to Michael. “I forgot.”

The room went silent as everyone turned to look at Dani, waiting for her to say something. To do something.

This had happened before, she told herself, even as a sense of panic swamped her. Previous foster children had fallen in love with Hawkeye. Had wanted to stay. Dani had always been gentle as she’d told them that she was only a . . .

A temporary stop. God. I hate that word.

This felt different, this situation with Joshua and Michael. And she realized that she wanted it to be different. She wanted it to be . . . un-temporary.

But life rarely worked the way she wanted.

Joshua stepped back from Angel the wolfhound, his eyes downcast. “Sorry,” he said to Delores. “I can’t have a dog. Maybe when I grow up I’ll be able to help one.”

Dani sank to her knees in front of Joshua, pulling him in for a hug, patting his thin little back as he sagged against her, sad when he’d been so happy only moments before. She glanced at Michael, whose eyes were flinty, full of warning. But there was also entreaty there, a sad awareness that he was too young to know.

“Don’t get his hopes up,” Michael signed. “Please.”

Dani gave him a nod, then pulled away from Joshua to use her hands so that Michael could understand her, too. “I am usually an emergency foster provider,” she said. “That means I’m a quick stop when kids are in danger at home.”

“Like Michael,” Joshua said. “Because Mom threw a bowl at his head.”

“Yes,” Dani said, grateful that Joshua didn’t know about the abuse John Brewer had inflicted on Michael. “Usually kids stay with me for just a few days.”

Joshua’s mouth pinched, but he nodded stoically. “So we have to go.”

“I don’t know,” Dani said honestly. She felt like she was saying that a lot today. “I have had a few kids stay longer, so I don’t know. What I can promise is that I won’t let you go anywhere that’s not safe.”