Crosby shot me a mock scowl. “I can’t believe she’s cheering for you over me.”

“Girls have to stick together, Crosby,” I called. Zoe laughed, and when I held out a hand, she jogged over to give me a high five. “You show him who’s boss.”

“He is pretty old, it won’t be hard.”

Crosby gave an exaggerated moan and fell to the grass with a dramatic flourish. “They’re killing me.”

Ingrid laughed as Zoe ran over to Crosby and helped him back up. “You two are really good with her. Do you want some of your own?”

It had been so long since I’d gotten the question, it was like a sucker punch to the solar plexus. No one had asked me because I had erected walls and Do Not Enter signs all around me. But when those walls started to crumble, when I let new people into my life, they were bound to ask things. The questions weren’t careless; the people had no idea they’d just detonated a bomb in the memory center of my brain.

I cleared my throat. “No plans right now. But maybe someday. My best friend has custody of her siblings, though, and I help her out quite a bit.”

Ingrid smiled, showing no signs that she noticed me barely hanging on. “Well, you’ve got the touch. Some people are just born with the gift to reach children that’ve been hurt. There’s an innate empathy in them that lets the children know they’re safe. Callie with the Alliance, she has it. And so do you.”

My chest warmed at Ingrid’s words. I knew if what she said was true, that empathy was born of my own rough start and the gift that was Harriet’s gentle patience as I grew older. I loved the idea that my own pain could be turned into a blessing, something I was grateful for. It certainly helped me to understand what Zoe might be going through right now. “I hope she feels safe with me. Seen.”

Ingrid reached over and squeezed my hand. “She does. And having you guys stop by and hang out with her has really helped her settle in here.”

“You know we’ll do it as often as we can.” I loved spending time with the little girl. And seeing how Crosby lit up around her was something to behold. If I had an empathy Zoe could recognize, then Crosby had a child-like energy that was impossible to ignore. He brought Zoe out of her shell with a playfulness that had me grinning like a fool.

“You and Crosby should think about fostering.”

My head snapped back in Ingrid’s direction. “What?”