I’m so sorry for what happened today, Via.

She jolted just a little as the text vibrated in her pocket but she ignored it, obviously too polite to answer a text while she had company.

Seb made eyes at her until she got his message and opened her phone. He asked Matty questions about his day at school while she pecked out a one-handed response.

I’m okay, Sebastian. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but his.

He took a deep breath. She was right of course. But still...

I wish I would have intervened sooner. And then you wouldn’t be hurt. Don’t console me. You’re not supposed to console me when you’re the one who left that room with a bruise.

She smirked at him as she read his text.

Then what do you want? Tough love?

God. He wanted any type of love that she would throw his way. If he were a different man, maybe he would have typed that out. But he had a kid chomping pretzels next to him and a dog sleeping on his foot. And she had a boyfriend. And was twenty-seven years old, for fuck’s sake. How many times had he been through this with himself?

Anything to make you feel better.

She frowned down at his text. She sighed and took a big bite of pretzel and hummus, looking out the window. She was tweaking her nose one way and then the other when she finally responded.

Yeah. Worst birthday ever.

“It’s your birthday?” He hadn’t meant to speak it out loud but there it was. His stomach gave an almighty flop, like a sea lion on a wet dock. In all his musings over Via DeRosa’s age, it simply hadn’t occurred to him that the woman had birthdays. Dumb but true.

Just because she’s older doesn’t mean she’s old enough, he reminded himself. He’d been clinging so tightly to the number twenty-seven that twenty-eight felt strangely slippery in his mind, like he couldn’t quite pin it to the same bulletin board that her former age had been fastened to.

“Really?” Matty straightened like he’d been electrocuted. At six years old, birthdays were far from routine. In fact, they were pretty much as special as dinosaur sightings.

“Really,” she admitted, pursing her lips together.

“Oh God.” Sebastian face-palmed. “Matty, finish up. We’ve gotta get out of here. I’m sure Miss DeRosa has a fancy dinner or a party or something to go to.”

Via shrugged. “You can stay for a bit. Fin is coming over for dinner, but beyond that, nothing too special. You’re not crashing.”

Matty was doing his best electric-shock-part-two impression. “Dad, can we stay for dinner?” He leaned in very close to Seb’s face, all hummus breath and bits of pretzel flying everywhere. “There’s usually cake on a birthday,” he whispered loud enough to make Via burst out laughing.

Seb was glad that someone was laughing. Because to him? This was mortifying. “We’re having dinner with Tyler and Mary, remember? To celebrate your grandparents leav—because we haven’t gotten to see them in a while.”